The girl from the INNside
by SuperSaphiraWhoLock
Summary: Alexis' mundane life at the inn is turned around completely when Ranger Halt crosses her path. RANGERS APPRENTICE IS (SADLY ENOUGH) NOT MY PROPERTY! ALL CREDITS GO TO JOHN FLANAGAN
1. The girl from the inn

**Hey guys! I'm sort of new at this site, but love it and decided to try a fanfiction myself :3 I hope its okay and please review, critism is more welcome than anything else as long as it helps me ;)  
The period of time of this story is set about half a year after Will left Halt. Halt is already married to Pauline but decided still lives in his cabin by the woods. Why? the story will explain.  
well... enjoy!  
-SaphiraWhoLock  
**

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**The girl from the inn.**  
It was a hot spring day, the sun was shining bright in the blue sky, and the temperatures were rising.  
Odd for the beginning of April, certainly in this part of Araluen, but that didn't matter, nobody really noticed and nobody really cared as they went on with their daily business. The baker got up first, then the smith and then, the inn came to life too.  
In 'The Sleeping Fox' it was business as usual. Mother roused Alexis with a soft touch on her shoulder and the seventeen year old got dressed, ate breakfast and started to do her chores.  
Sweeping the floor.  
Cleaning the wine glasses.  
Feeding the horses (Alexis was afraid of horses but her dad decided to make her do that every morning).  
Making breakfast for 20 hungry guests.  
Serving breakfast to 20 hungry guests.  
Making cold tea and toast for the hangover guests.  
Serving cold tea and toast to the hangover guest.  
Doing the dishes.  
It was a very boring morning routine, but Alexis had no choice. She was going to inherit this place one day whether she liked it or not.  
Alexis was busy scrubbing off a very ugly stain of one of the plates when she noticed a rather peculiar man sitting at the bar, dressed in simple clothing, apart from his cloak, which looked like a small piece of forest, Alexis was fascinated with it. The man also carried a bow, 24 arrows and two knifes. He could be a hunter, or maybe, a Ranger. Alexis had always been interested for the Rangers, small men disappearing in the forest, investigating murders and crimes, solving diplomatic fights all over the world and making friends around all of Araluen.  
"Bar is going to be open in two hours sir!" she yelled from the kitchen.  
"And I'm late for breakfast, certainly." He said back, he wasn't yelling but there was something in his voice, it was deep and clear, loud, with an undertone of authority and a slight Hibernic accent.  
"Yes sir, sorry sir." Alexis said.  
The man looked disappointed and very tired, she felt a bit sorry for him.  
Alexis decided to leave the dishes alone and brew the man a cup of strong coffee.  
Five minutes later she put it down in front of him: "Here you go," she said, "On the house."  
She had never seen a man happier than this man with his coffee: "Beautiful," he said, sipping it enthusiastically, then he looked up, and asked: "Is there a possibility that you could rent me a room for today? I have had a long journey and home is a day walking from here."  
Alexis nodded: "Not a problem at all sir, a room is ten ducats a day and that's including lunch and dinner."  
He looked thankful.  
"What is your name Sir?"  
"Halt."  
Alexis' jaw dropped: "THE Halt? As in, Ranger Halt, the one who lead the cavalry at the battle on Hackham Heath, and then the second time to defeat the Skandians in the Thorn tree forest? The Halt who trained Ranger Will Treaty?"  
The man sighed, clearly annoyed: "Exactly, that Halt."  
"Awesome," she replied while writing down his name in the guest book.  
During the rest of the day, between all of her chores, the short, blonde haired girl formed an idea.  
She was going to be Halts next apprentice.  
_But how, for the Kings sake?_  
She decided to wait for him outside the door. He was a Ranger and he had already paid his room, so he was defiantly going to run off in the middle of the night.  
Alexis came from a simple family, but was the cleverest and this deduction was an easy one.  
She settled at the bottom of the big oak next to the inn and kept watch. It was cold in her thin cloak, but that would keep her awake.  
Or at least that's what she thought…  
Halfway through the night she woke up, Alexis didn't know why, but when she looked up at the moon she saw that at least four hours must've passed.  
_Shit.  
_But then (and maybe that's what woke her up) the door opened. It squealed softly in its hinges and Halt squeezed through it as fast as possible.  
He then silently closed the door and scanned the street, from the Baker, to the tailor, passing the big oak.  
Alexis froze. He saw her. She was sure. He couldn't have not seen her…  
Apparently the Ranger didn't, he stopped looking around, turned to the south and walked down the main street with something on his face that might be called a slight, smug smile.  
As long as he stayed on the main road, the Ranger was easy to follow, but at dawn, he went into a small forest and disappeared. And then reappeared.  
Maybe the others where right, maybe he was a wizard with black magic.  
She shook away her concerns and followed the man into the forest. She knew quite a lot about sneaking away too (away from her chores at the inn), but she had never really done something like this before. She never followed someone in the death of the night. She never spied on someone before and surely not on a King's Ranger.  
Was this illegal? She thought, maybe, if Ranger Halt caught her he would fine her, or worse, lock her up in jail for the rest of her life.  
She stopped. Most certainly the sun rose somewhere, but defiantly not here, the blackness of the night had faded to a light shade of grey and, and Halt had disappeared without a trace this time.  
_Shit!_ She thought, looking around. She had gotten so lost in thoughts that she forgot what she was actually doing, spying on someone…  
_O you're one hell of a Ranger…  
_She ran forward, panicked and suddenly, without any warning, she leapt out of the dense forest in a small, open place, an almost perfect oval spot with a small cabin, three empty stables and a small shed.  
She walked up to the cabin and knocked on the door.  
No answer.  
"Hello?" she called, "Excuse me, my name is Alexis Middleson from the Sleeping Fox inn at the edge of the Redmont fief! I might have gotten lost somehow."  
Still, no answer.  
She opened the door, it wasn't locked but it was slightly squeaky. The cabin was small and through the door you immediately stepped into the small living room with a fireplace and two big chairs.  
At the back of the cabin was a small kitchen, and to the right there where two doors both probably leading to a bedroom and a guest room.  
On the small coffee table at the fireplace lay some paperwork, Alexis approached curiously and looked at the first page of the report.  
**To Ranger Halt,  
Concerning, Recruiting soldiers in Fief Redmont and Whitby fief.**  
_Shit.  
_She had followed the Ranger, accidentally found his home and was now reading his personal documents. She hastily placed them back on the coffee table and tried to run for it, but it was too late.  
There he was, Ranger Halt, standing in the door opening.  
Alexis looked around, there were no other means of escape, no open windows, no other doors.  
She looked the man in the eyes, they were a deep, dark shade of brown, almost black and so angry.  
"I'm, I'm so sorry Ranger Halt. I didn't mean to…"  
"Read my documents?  
"I didn't read them Ranger Halt!"  
"Then what where you doing here?" he asked. He wasn't yelling but the undertone in his voice was so scary.  
Alexis nervously pulled on her brown cloak: "I wanted to ask you if I could be your apprentice, maybe, I, I don't want to live at the inn for the rest of my life and I want to be a Ranger."  
Halt raised his thick eyebrow: "A Ranger." His voice was so sarcastic that Alexis felt so stupid. How could she think she could ever be a Ranger?  
_I have blew it. It is over. I can go straight back to the inn and finish doing the dishes.  
_

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**A/N That was it for chapter one! I'm a slow writer but since my mum will be gone all week for school I think I'll update soon.  
Please review!**


	2. About Parents and Permission

**Hey! I hope I uploaded soon enough :D your reviews made me really happy!  
maggiestarjump: Thank you very much, I hope you will enjoy how the story unfolds!  
Savannah Silverstone: I tried to work on the paragraphs, I'm used to a whole different kind of writing so I'll have to get used to it, please tell me what you think about it now!  
Ranger Robbin: I'll slow the story down :) writing too fast is one of my weak points.  
Shizue-seijn is a friend of mine (she introduced me to this wonderful website) and she is currently active as my BETA. Thanks for the help!  
So... I hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

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Chapter 2  
About Parents and Permission.

Halt seemed to think deeply, he frowned. "Or maybe…" He tilted his head and studied the girl.

She was short, about 1.50 meters, wearing a long brown skirt, a shirt and a cloak. Uncommon for a girl her age, she had short hair instead of long and leather boots instead of small shoes.

"I could train you…" Halt said.

Alexis' heart lifted: "Really?"

"Well…" he stroked his beard, "I have had two Apprentices and a third one would be nice. Maybe…" he was silent for a moment, wondering about this decision.

Alexis tried her brightest smile. "Well, according to the Celts three is the golden number." she said.  
"Yes, indeed," Halt mumbled, Alexis' charming little face didn't affect him. "But we're in Araluen, aren't we?" he raised his eyebrow, took another look at her and then said. "Okay, you can be my apprentice. But for three months. After that, we'll see again if you are fit for the Ranger Corps."

He kneeled down by the fireplace and started building a new fire. "But first, you're going home to ask permission from your parents." He said grumpily, "I think they imagined your life a little more mundane and you can't just do as you please, girl."  
Alexis nodded, that sounded reasonable. But how was she ever going to convince her parents?

"How do I find my way home again?" She asked him.

"Go north," said Halt, and with his one free hand he pointed towards a direction that hopefully would be north. "About half an hour walking from here you'll find a road, go left, to castle Redmont, and say the guard that I, Ranger Halt, sent you. Tell him you're my new apprentice, he'll let you in. Go to the stables, ask for a horse and for directions to your inn,"

"It's not my inn." Alexis mumbled.  
"Do not interrupt me girl."  
"Sorry sir."  
"The way back is easy, it's practically one road, but they'll tell you at the castle. Go home, ask for permission, return the horse and then you either go back home or come to me. I expect you back either before midnight or at six o'clock tomorrow morning." He lit the fire and got up, handing Alexis a letter. "Show this at the castle. Those are your credentials. Don't leave them there."

Alexis nodded, folding the letter and stuffing it in her pocket. This went easier than expected. She thanked him again, walked toward the direction he pointed in and found the road towards Redmont.

_Tell the guard you're Halts next apprentice, get a horse… Get a horse.  
Shit._

How was she going to fix this? She would be way faster with a horse, but she didn't know how to ride one. Even worse, she was afraid of horses. She shook her head, she had to figure something out when she got there.  
Redmont was a huge, impressive castle. It was, instead of most castles, triangular, with an impressive keep. The big, red castle looked like it was glowing in the morning sun (that was rising at last).

_I don't want to ride a horse_, she thought, _But what if a Ranger has to ride a horse?_  
She started to panic, _he did have stables next to his house. But they were empty…  
Maybe they were for visitors? She hadn't seen him ride a horse before._

She was wondering about this when she heard someone call her name.  
"Hey! Lexie! Why are you here?"

She turned to look, it was Freddie, riding a carriage. Freddie provided her father's inn with fresh fruit and vegetables every week. He stopped next to her: "Do you need a ride?"  
"Are you going to the inn?"  
"Yes sweetie, why else would I offer you a ride?" he smiled.

She shrugged, why not? She could worry about a ride back later. She climbed next to him into the carriage and he whipped his big horse. They rode to the inn in silence. Alexis wondering how on earth she was going to convince her parents and Freddie concentrating on steering his carriage on the bumpy road.

"Are you insane?" father crossed his arms, "Never. You are not going to be the apprentice of that lunatic!"

"Ranger Halt is not a lunatic!" Alexis yelled. "And I can do whatever I want!"

"You are my daughter and you are doing what I tell you!"

Mother entered: "What's going on here?"

"Your daughter wants to be a Rangers apprentice!"

Mother raised an eyebrow: "Alexis?"

"Yesterday I followed Ranger Halt home and he offered me a job as a King's Ranger."  
She decided it would be wise to leave the details and not tell her father it was the other way around.

"He offered you it?" father asked puzzled.

"Sort of."

"You followed him home." Her mother stated.  
Alexis looked at her mother._  
_Mother sighed. "Sit down." She said.

"Now is not the time," protested father.

"Yes sweetheart, now is the time."

Alexis sat down. She was scared.  
_Mother looks sad. This can never be good.  
_Mother was never sad.

"Alexis. First you must know that we love you very much. You will forever be my daughter and I will always support and love you." She sighed.  
Father nodded: "Let's get it over with, Marion, Alexis, sweetie, you're adopted."

"Excuse me?" Alexis stood up. "What? And you decide to tell me that now?"

Mother sighed. "We agreed we would tell you when you were going to find your own way. Your biological parents, we don't know what happened to them, they left you on our doorstep. No note, nothing, so we decided to take you in, as our own child. We named you Alexis, after your grandmother, who had died that day."

"So June the 5th is not my birthday," Alexis said in shock.

"It's the day we found you." Mother hugged her daughter. "Today you decided something on your own, something odd. Today is the day we had to tell you. What if, on your journey, you meet your real parents and they recognize you? We wanted to tell you this ourselves."

Alexis hugged her mother back. "You are my real parents." She said, tearing up, "The people that left me on your doorstep obviously never wanted me and even though I am not your own, you did. They are strangers to me. You are my mother and father."  
Father smiled, two tears of relief rolling down his face. "Let's have dinner together. One more time as a family. I'll ask Freddie to wait for you and he'll give you a ride back."  
Alexis nodded.

"Why don't you go pack your stuff and I'll cook us a meal?" She asked it as a question but it was an order, Alexis knew that tone very well and she felt mother wanted to talk about something with father in private. She left.

There wasn't very much to pack, some clothes, a few books about herbology (She was an expert in collecting different herbs and making soups and medicine from them) and a weirdly coloured stone she found in the Tarbus river. That was it. Carrying one bag for her books and the other for her clothes she went downstairs to find her mother setting the table. She had cooked a duck in his own fat, spiced potatoes and sugared corn. Alexis helped her setting the table and called her father, who was working in the garden.

They had dinner like they used to many years ago when Alexis was still a kid and the inn wasn't as popular as it was now. They talked and laughed and when they were all done eating, mother brewed two strong cups of coffee and a cup of tea for Alexis (who didn't like coffee), she went away to get something and returned with a small package.

It contained a ring. Just a small, golden band.  
"It's been in our generation for centuries. Look at the inside, it's been engraved.  
Alexis studied the inside of the ring. _Hope. Trust. Love._

"If you ever feel lost, or alone, or sad, I hope you can find courage and strength through this ring and it will forever remind you that our doors shall always be open for you."

Alexis hugged her mother, then her father .  
"But I'm not officially family. So you're actually giving it to another family tree." She protested after a short silence.

"You are family to me, and that shall forever be enough reason to give you this ring. I love you Alexis." Mother replied.  
Alexis nodded and slipped the ring around her finger. It was exactly her size. "Thank you."

She got up. It was time to go.  
She called Freddie and they climbed on the carriage. Because it was empty, it was lighter and they went much faster.  
Alexis didn't have to worry anymore about what her parents would say, so she was worrying about where and when she was going to fall off the carriage.  
Freddie wanted to get home as soon as possible.

After about an hour or so Alexis recognized a tree.  
"We have to stop here!" she yelled.

"What? Why?" Freddie asked, pulling the reins.  
Alexis got up and grabbed her bags. "Because I have a slightly different destination than you."

She walked around the back of the carriage (avoiding the huge horse) waved Freddie goodbye, thanked him and disappeared into the forest like a ghost.  
The way back was slightly harder because of the darkness but she followed the same, almost invisible trail, but this time, south. After about half an hour she smelled the smoke from Halts cabin and saw the stables. She looked up towards the moon.

_Almost midnight._  
She started running, harder and harder, slipped and fell face forward into the mud.  
_Really? Why me, why is it always me?_

Alexis crawled up and continued her way towards the cabin, slower this time.  
She raised her hand but before she could knock, an answer came: "Come in. you're late."

"I had a goodbye dinner with my parents."

"So they agreed." Halt nodded.

"Yes, Ranger Halt."

Halt got up. This was the first time Alexis saw him without a cloak.  
He was small, but muscular, he had short, grey hair and a similar beard. The lack of model in his haircut suggested that he cut his hair himself.  
Probably with the knife on his belt.

Ranger Halt pointed towards one of the doors in the back, that was probably leading to a guest room.  
"That is your room from now on. I advise you to go to bed, I'll wake you up at six o'clock tomorrow morning with three bangs on your door. If you sleep in you miss breakfast and your first lessons. Goodnight."

Alexis also mumbled a soft: "Goodnight, Ranger Halt." And entered the bedroom.

_This was probably Wills room too!_ She thought.

There was a wardrobe in the left corner with a table next to it. On the table stood a vase with fresh flowers and in the right corner stood a bed. The thought that she was going to sleep in the same bed as Will used to sleep in excited her for some reason. He was a hero and she was going to sleep in his bed! Maybe that would change her into a hero too…

_Don't be silly._

She emptied her bag with books and stalled them on a small table, then dumped her bag with clothes into the wardrobe. She undressed and climbed into the bed. It was soft and fresh and she fell asleep quickly with all the things that had happened that day running through her mind.

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**Thanks for reading it, I'll update ASAP. Please review!**


	3. A knight in shining armour

**A/N Oké, here I am again! This chapter was very cool to write, because I can introduce my fav character from Ranger's Apprentice here! I am a few chapters ahead but I'm very keen on making as few mistakes as possible so I have a few Beta's (also from outside ) and that takes a while!  
And again, thank you for reviewing and subscribing and Lucia123: *River Song voice* Spoilers! No... I don't know yet. I thought about a couple of pairing but I want to keep the story as intact as possible. So, maybe... ;)**

**Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and don't forget that I love reviews and criticism! **

Chapter 3 – A knight in shining armour.

Three loud bangs on the door woke Alexis up.  
Excited, she immediately jumped out of bed and got dressed. A white linen shirt, brown pants and her soft leather boots. She combed her short hair and opened the door.

"Good morning Halt," she smiled.  
He mumbled something and flipped the bacon cooking in the pan above the fire.

They had breakfast in silence. After Halt had piled up the plates on the table he pointed at the door. "There is a bucket next to the barrel outside and a small stream about 50 meters west from here. How about you go fill up the barrel so we can do the dishes?" He formulated it as a question, but it was an assignment, an order. Alexis nodded, got up and went outside.

She found the bucket next to the barrel, exactly where Halt had said it would be. She grabbed it, walked west (She hoped it was west, but concluded it from when Halt had pointed north the day before) and indeed found a stream. She filled the bucket and walked back to the cabin.

It took thirty-one buckets to fill the barrel and thirty-two walks for Alexis because she dropped one of the full barrels when slipping on mud.  
She had fallen on her back, swinging with the full bucket so it landed on her stomach.  
When she entered the cabin again and grabbed the plates to do the dishes, she hoped Halt wouldn't notice that she was wet.

But it was Halt. Of course he noticed. To make sure Alexis had noticed that he had noticed, he just made one subtle remark.  
He sniffed and said: "It smells like wet dog in here."

After the dishes, Halt asked (instructed) her to sweep the floor, clean the pans, build a new fire and he even sent her to the market in Wensley to buy tomatoes and lettuce for dinner.  
By the end of the day she didn't feel like a Ranger's Apprentice, she felt like an ordinary maid and she started to get annoyed at Halt, who had spent his day sitting on his lazy ass reading.

"Did you get the tomatoes?"

"Yes, Ranger Halt."

He smiled. Well, it wasn't actually smiling, but the corners of his mouth slightly raised and that was the closest he had come to a smile for today: "You can call me Halt if you want to, girl, if we are going to spend the next five years together we'd better get used to each other."

"Yes Halt." Alexis replied. It annoyed her that he was constantly calling her 'girl'. So patronizing.

"So, what if you start cleaning the vegetables so we can cook together?"

Alexis sighed, then nodded. That all over again. 'you get some water, we do the dishes together *cough* you do the dishes.' And, 'You get the broom, we can sweep the house together *cough* you sweep the house'. He had been doing that all day, so it surprised Alexis that after she had cleaned and cut the vegetables, he actually joined her.

"Welcome to the first secret of the Rangers," he said.

"What, cooking?" Alexis raised one eyebrow.  
The Ranger shrugged. "Well, if there comes a day you have to poison your enemy, you have to prepare a good meal, or he might not even finish it."

Alexis laughed.

"See that chest in the back?" Halt pointed with his knife, "Show me your skills. Get the best piece of lamb you can find."

Alexis walked to the chest and opened it, it contained different sorts of meat, neatly packed but none of them had a label.  
It was child's play. Alexis had lived in an inn her entire life and she picked the biggest, best looking piece of lamb. If Halt was going to let her choose, she was going to get the juiciest one.

"This one," she said, unpacking the lamb on the counter.

"Are you sure?" Halt raised an eyebrow.

But Alexis knew he was trying to trick her into doubting herself.  
"I wasn't born yesterday," she smiled and started preparing the lamb by cutting the flesh from the bones and melting butter in the frying pan.

It was silent for a minute or two and the Ranger and his student were concentrating on cooking. Halt showed Alexis how to spice the vegetables and the lamb.  
All of a sudden, Alexis heard something.

"Do you hear that?" she asked Halt.

He shook his head: "What do you hear?"

Alexis tilted her head and listened: "It's a horse. A big one. Probably a steed and his passenger is a knight, I can hear his armour and his sword."

"_His_ sword?"

"Well, yes, have you seen any female knights lately?"

Halt shrugged. He liked this girl, she wasn't easily confused. They went on cooking and two minutes later, Halt heard it too.

He washed his hands and went outside. He knew this knight.

"Horace!" He smiled. "I didn't expect you this soon!"

Halt had sent Horace a message about a week ago.

"It looked urgent."

"It is urgent."

"I'll be inside in a minute, I got to take care of Kicker."

Halt nodded. He appreciated a man who took care of his horses before he took care of himself. He went back in again.  
"Alexis?"

"Yes, Halt?"

"Would you mind finishing dinner on your own?" He asked her. That was something new, he actually gave her a choice this time.  
Alexis nodded, but she wondered what he would say if she said no.

Halt grinned: "If you say no I'll have Horace help you and you don't want that."

The two heard laughter: "You don't want me helping. I helped Jenny cook once and I burned the eggs."

"You burned the eggs." Halt repeated.

Horace nodded, he took off his cape and then approached Alexis: "Where are my manners? Hi, I'm Horace, Horace Altman."

They shook hands and Alexis studied him. He was tall- no, he was huge, compared to Alexis. The man was built like a real warrior, small hips, broad shoulders and muscular.  
He had a large face, dominated by his broken nose. The nose didn't make him ugly, it gave him the tough, rebellious appearance of a pirate. He had bright, blue eyes and a small scar on his left cheekbone.  
But let's just be fair. This man was incredible handsome.

"I'm Alexis," she said, smiling. "Are you joining us for dinner?"

She saw Halt waving behind Horace and shaking his head wildly, but it was too late.

"Yea, sure, why not?" Horace laughed. "I had a long ride and I'm tired."

Halt sighed: "You might want to add another lamb, girl, and…"

"An _entire_ lamb?" Alexis asked a bit stunned.

"Well, apparently you never met Horace before." Halt crossed his arms. "Show me how you spice a lamb."

Alexis cleaned and cooked another lamb and about half an hour later, dinner was ready. Halt and Horace had set the table together and they had dinner outside, on the porch. It was warm for a winter day.  
Both Alexis and Halt ate little. The first piece of lamb they prepared for the two of them was way too much.

Of course that wasn't a problem for Horace. He ate everything, scraped his plate clean and started a small competition because Halt had prepared the first lamb and Alexis the second. He gave them points and came to the conclusion that Alexis was a way better cook then Halt.

As if Halt cared.

They were drinking coffee.  
Of course, Alexis got offered some too and she had to tell the two men she didn't like coffee. Halt shook him head and mumbled that there would be more for them, but Horace got up and gave her a cup of coffee anyway.  
He filled it with sugar, honey and milk and basically forced her to drink it.

"It's good," she said.

"Because you think it's good or because you're afraid I'll kill you?" Horace laughed.

"Probably a bit of both."

It was silent for a while. Alexis enjoyed the silence, she always had. The sun was setting and after an hour they were sitting in the moonlight. It was cold when the sun was gone, but none of them moved. Alexis was busy finding the last missing star on the Centaurus when Horace started moving again. He had been doing that for about half an hour now, changing chairs, fiddling with his hair or sighing.  
He wanted to get to the point.

"My student is more patient than a knight." Halt broke the silence.

"Yea, but your student is going to be just like you. I'm a man of action."

"I wasn't planning on sitting around all day." Alexis mumbled.

It was silent for a moment and then Alexis and Horace made eye contact. The recruit and the knight burst out into laughter. Alexis felt part of the group, she felt at ease with these two people. Oké, she didn't know them for that long and Halt was very grumpy but that was okay.

Speaking of which… he didn't look very pleased with this situation.  
He started piling up the dishes and gave Alexis a meaningful look.

She sighed, but accepted her fate.

When Alexis was in the kitchen, she could hear the two men talk.

"Where did you get this girl?" Horace asked Halt.

"She followed me home." Halt answered.

Horace laughed: "You have girls following you home. Don't tell Lady Pauline."  
This time, even Halt let out a small snicker.

"Why did you call me here?" Horace asked.

"I need your help."

Horace let out a brief sigh, at last, to the point.

"A few weeks ago Crowley and I send Will to Norgate fief. Alyss followed later and they're both undercover, Alyss as Lady Gwendolyn and Will as a jongleur."

Horace laughed: "What is he doing? Playing his lute?"

Halt nodded: "Yes, but I got a very vague report, it was full of magic and nonsense, it contained more questions than it solved, I'll give it to you later. Crowley and I got worried. We want to send you."

"Why me?"

"Because you always had Will's back and you can help him solve whatever is going on there in Norgate."

It was silent for a while, and Alexis re-entered the porch with two cups of coffee and a mug with warm milk. She sat down and drank it. The milk, not the coffee.

"Halt?" Horace asked.

"Yes?"

"Norgate fief lies in the north of Araluen, right?" He played with his mug.

"Yes, of course, learn your topography."

"So does Castle Araluen."

Silence. Halt took a deep breath: "Well actually, Castle Araluen lies more to the center of the Kingdom."

"But it is both north from Redmont. Why did you call me here? You could have sent me a message with the assignment. It would have spared me and Kicker the ride."

"I miss my boys." Halt grinned, sipping his coffee. "Listen, Horace, Will is on a secret mission. What if the letter got intercepted? I couldn't risk it."

"You could have come see me."

"I could. But this was easier."

Horace got up: "Well in that case, it's time for bed."  
He went for the tent in his luggage but Alexis was quicker: "I'd be more than happy to sleep in the stables tonight, sir,"

"Please just call me Horace."

She nodded: "Horace. You can sleep in my bed if you want to, just let me change the sheets."

Horace laughed: "There are two reasons I can't."  
Halt nodded: "The first reason is because he is a giant. He wouldn't fit in your bed if he wanted to."

"And the second reason?"

"Politeness. I'll just sleep in the stables with Kicker. I won't be cold, I lived in Skandia for a couple of months, remember?" Said Horace.

Alexis nodded, she was happy he rejected, because she didn't exactly look forward to spending the night in the stables next to a horse trice her size.

Halt let out a small snicker: "Sure, you spent time in Skandia. But curled up nearly _in_ the fire pit every night."

Horace decided to ignore that comment and the two youngsters (note that Horace, even though he earned his stripes, was still a twenty year old) got up and both went to bed. Halt followed, but hours later, after he finished his paperwork.

Horace left after breakfast the morning after. He had changed his shirt with the oak leaf emblem for one with a blue fist, the emblem of a knight for hire, and he pulled a cover on his shield.

"Incognito mode." He smiled broadly, mounting Kicker.  
He wanted to steer the horse away from the little clearing but Halt pulled on his cloak: "I think it's better if you start using a different name, something close to Horace but nothing too close."

Horace looked slightly confused: "Do you have any suggestions?"

Halt thought about it and then nodded: "Sir Hawken."

Horace smiled: "Well, I'd better be off. Good luck, Alexis!"

"Well I think you're the person who needs luck!" Alexis laughed.

"I'd rather fight an entire army of Skandians than be Halts student." He winked, it wasn't true, of course, but Horace liked making fun of his former Master.  
Horace spurred his horse and it set off in a fast trot.  
Alexis shivered.

_It's huge._


	4. Cloak and Dagger

**Dear readers, here it is, chapter 4! I'm very excited about this chapter because it was very funny to write. It also introduces two new characters briefly**

**Please review and please enjoy!**

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Chapter 4 – Cloak and Dagger.

Horace slowly disappeared down the road. Halt watched him and then said: "Follow me."

Alexis followed the grey-bearded man into the forest. He showed her how to disappear in the shadows and they practiced, pretending to infiltrate a hostile army camp. Alexis tried multiple times to sneak past Halt (without success) and he showed her the easiest and best way to scale walls and climb trees.  
After a long morning full of training they walked back. Alexis was warm, sweaty and dying for a bath. Halt had given her a mottled, grey-green, camouflaged cloak with a deep heavy cowl she could disappear in. It made the sneaking easier but the climbing harder. She thought that, apart from her chores, she was done this day.

Silly Alexis. Of course not. Back at the cabin Halt disappeared in the shed and returned five minutes later with a large bag. Alexis tried to step forward to see what was inside but Halt pushed her back.

"Patience, girl. Patience." He said. "In this bag are the weapons you are going to train and work with.

Alexis was thrilled. She smiled: "Really? Awesome!"

Halt nodded: "Of course, we Rangers are not supposed to be noticed, but when we get in trouble. We use…" he reached in the bag and pulled out, "a bow."

Alexis nodded, she knew this, but the bow he pulled out of the bag was different from Halts bow.

"This is a recurve bow. You are not strong enough to use a long bow yet, so you'll have to train with a recurve for the first two years."

Alexis took the bow and pulled it's string: "Can I shoot it?"

Halt pulled an arrow out of his quiver and handed it to her: "Well, if you think you're ready." He said.

Alexis tried loading the arrow on the bow but it didn't work. It kept turning to the right, away from the wood.

"Try tilting the bow slightly to the left," Halt instructed.

Alexis tried and it worked. She pulled the bowstring backwards with her thumb and index finger  
Alexis was about to let the arrow go, flying towards a hay bale she had chosen as her victim when something odd occurred to her.

"Halt?" she asked.

"Yes, girl?" He answered.

"If I let go of the arrow now, it will fly in the direction I intended right?"

"Hopefully it will."

"And the string will launch itself into the soft flesh of my underarm."

"Yes." Halt sounded disappointed. He ducked into the bag again and pulled a bracer out. "Here"

Alexis smiled. She felt like he outsmarted Halt and that felt good. She didn't get the chance very often and when she did she blew it. Most of the time, because now, she didn't fall for it.  
The girl accepted the bracer and slid it around her right arm.

Halt raised an eyebrow: "Isn't that your wrong arm?"

She smiled and waved with her left arm: "Leftie!"

Halt nodded and disappeared in the shed again. Alexis took the lace between her teeth and pulled the leather bracer tight.  
She was struggling to tie a knot with one hand when Halt appeared again, with a different bow.

"How on earth do you put this damn thing on?"

Halt took her hand, pulled the strings tight and tied a complicated knot: "You can pull this knot open with one hand." He said.

"What's up with the other bow?" Alexis asked.

Halt gave it to her: "You are left handed, that wouldn't be a problem if we started with a long bow, but this is a recurve bow. Please be careful with this one, I made it myself and it's been Will's when he wasn't strong enough for the long bow yet."

Alexis held the bow as if it was made of china: "I'll treat it like it's worth a million royals."

Halt nodded approvingly: "Try to shoot with it."

Alexis raised the bow, loaded with the arrow, pulled the string and released it.  
The arrow hit the hay bale, about five centimetres above the bulls eye.

"Neat." Halt said. "Is this the first time you shoot?"

Alexis snickered: "Yes. But Halt?"

"Yes, girl?"

"I was aiming for the other one."

"Is this a joke?" Halt turned around.

Alexis shook her head: "I am serious." She pulled her bow string nervously.

Halt gave her a quiver full of arrows, before he ducked back into the bag, mumbling: "Remind me not to let you shoot in a hostage situation."  
He returned out of the bag with a double scabbard: "When we get in trouble and, say, our bow is useless, destroyed, or we get involved in close combat, we have this," He gave her the scabbard and she pulled out the shortest knife.

"That's your throwing knife," said Halt, and in one, fluid movement he pulled his own throwing knife and threw it into the hay bale Alexis wanted shoot in, right in the bulls eye.

"Wow…" Alexis mumbled, "Where do I learn that?"

"Practice makes perfect." He said, and pointed at the other knife, "That knife is for battle. It's called a Saxe knife, from the Skandian 'sea axe'. But," he remarked with a slight nod, "Our steel smiths have much more skills than the Skandian ones and the steel of this knife is extremely hard. That's what causes the faint blue tint."

Alexis studied the knife closely, it was perfectly balanced and it had a leather and brass hilt, very practical and the knife could even be defined as a short sword.

"Of course it's also balanced for throwing but I wouldn't mindlessly throw it into things because it is so heavy it could be lethal. But sometimes lethal is just what you need."

Halt showed Alexis the basic positions for shooting and throwing and assigned her to do a one target practice. She started shooting and Halt went to get a chair, doing paperwork in the sun.  
Now and then he shouted instructions about her techniques, the pulling, aiming and releasing but Halt let her practice in peace most of the time.

For Alexis it felt like only half an hour had passed when Halt called her for dinner.  
He had prepared a stew, with veal and vegetables.

"I planned to use the leftovers from yesterday, but, well, Horace ate all."

Alexis laughed and they finished dinner in silence, it was a normal thing here, Alexis noticed. Halt barely spoke while eating and was very good in ignoring people.

"Halt?" Alexis asked.

No reaction.

"Why are we eating so early?"

This time he actually bothered to look up: "What do you mean, early?"

"Well, it's barely five o'clock." Alexis smiled- at last, a reaction!

But that was it, no more reactions until the dishes were all cleaned and dried.  
They were standing outside again, in the last sunlight of the day.

"Listen carefully girl. I'm going into the forest, you're going to follow me in about five minutes. Keep walking north-west, so we'll eventually reach Redmont."

"Hopefully."

Halt nodded: "Yes. What you are going to do is follow me. But you'll have to find me first and I do not want to find or see you. The first to reach Redmont unnoticed wins."

"Why do I have to find you?" Alexis asked.

"If you find me, I'll do the dishes for a week."

"And if you find me?" Alexis feared the worst.

"Nothing happens, because you have to do the dishes anyway." Halt said and he ran away.

Alexis sighed, waited for five minutes and followed him.

The sun hadn't gone under yet, but it was already dark in the forest.  
Alexis walked very slowly and tried to pretend there were a hundred eyes watching her, but it was so scary, she could hear leaves rustling, but never saw a bird.  
Maybe this forest was haunted.  
Or maybe Halt was trying to trick her in being afraid of her surroundings, instead of being part of it, said the rational part of her brain. That was why Halt chose this time of day. To scare her.  
She understood. That was it. There was no need to see the owl, she knew it was there.  
She wasn't going to look for Halt, she knew he was there, she had to accept that she was never going to find him.  
The only solution was to head for Redmont, as quick as she could.

Alexis nodded, pulled her Northseeker (Halt had given her one earlier today) out of her pocket and headed north-west.

Twenty minutes later, when she emerged from the woods, Alexis quickly looked around.

No Halt.

"Yes!" She started doing a little silly dance and looked forward to watching Halt do the dishes, when she felt a breeze of air near her left ear.  
She leapt to the right and looked to where she had felt the air. A big arrow with black feathers had appeared in the tree next to her.  
Alexis didn't get any time to recover, because no less than five seconds later something pulled her collar and something else pricked her neck.

"Never, ever, celebrate your victory. Because your enemy will take an advantage. I have been sitting in that bush for about two minutes and I could hear you coming as if you were the Kings Cavalry."

Halt let her go: "Give me my arrow back."

Alexis pulled the arrow out of the tree and gave it back.

"Thank you. Now follow me, we are going to a meeting with Baron Arald and the Battle Master." Halt walked to the entrance of the castle. He wanted to cross the bride and pass the guards, but one of them stopped the two Rangers.

"Excuse me, sir. Who are you?" he asked.

Halt raised an eyebrow: "You're new, aren't you?" he sneered.

"Y-yes sir?" The guard was intimidated and scared by Halts tone.

Halt took a deep breath to give an answer with probably more than one swearword when his partner called him back: "Steven! You idiot! That's Ranger Halt!"

The guard, Steven apparently, apologized, took a few steps back and turned to run back to his post.

They proceeded. Halt seemed to know his way around Redmont. He went to the keep and climbed up the stairs.  
Without knocking, he walked through a big, wooden door.

"Ah Halt!" one of the two men, a big knight (that probably was that big because of his love for food and not for his love for training), called him. "You're late."

Halt nodded in Alexis direction.

"Oh! You have a new apprentice!" the man got up and approached Alexis. "I'm Baron Arald, very pleased to meet you!" He was as enthusiastic as a five year old child.

"I'm- I'm Alexis," Alexis stuttered. The other man was bigger, who was standing in the corner, was a typical knight with a pretty handsome face. If it weren't for his massive, broken nose.

He waved: "I'm Sir Rodney, Battle master of the Redmont Battle school."

Halt nodded: "But we are here for another matter."

"Yes. Did anything happen this month?" Baron Arald asked.

"I have found and successfully eliminated a robber gang. A very smart one." Halt smiled.

"A smart robber gang?" Sir Rodney looked sceptical.

"They had one of them run over by a carriage and the others robbed the cargo, while the driver was taking care of the 'wounded' man."

It was a boring meeting for Alexis. It was about the things that had happened in the past month. Because she hadn't been there, she couldn't talk along and got bored after an hour or so.

"Redmont is a big fief."  
They were on the way back to the cabin and Halt seemed to take every opportunity to teach.  
"Therefore, Redmonts Ranger has a monthly briefing with the Baron and the Battle master. But you must never forget that we are Kings Rangers and we serve the King. The Baron is our ally in protecting the fief, but when he fails to do his job, we have to report that to the King too."

"The Rangers report directly to the King?"

"No. We write a report every month and we sent that to Crowley. Crowley is the Ranger Commandant. He operates in Fief Araluen and lives in Castle Araluen, so he can immediately report dangers to King Duncan."

Alexis nodded. She sucked this information up like a dry sponge.

"But we have a special regulation, because Baron Arald is the Kings most trusted counsellor. I do have to write a report every month, but that is about things that happen here. The robber gang, for example. Not about the functioning of the Baron and the Battle master."

"But what if the Baron and the Battle master decide to conspire against the King?"

"If they ever do, I promise you I'll jump off a bridge."

The two entered the clearing and Halt nudged to the cabin: "Time for bed, girl. Tomorrow is going to be about the same as today."

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Alexis asked, curiously.

"We have coffee and breakfast. Then training, lunch, training, dinner and training."

"So mainly training."

"Yes, mainly training."


	5. Wolfie

**Hey guys!~This is going to be my last chapter for a while. I've got a vacation coming up without interwebs, so this is your last dose of RA and my favourite chapter so far. Please review and enjoy!**

** 1904 - Thank you, capturing Halt has been a great challenge and I'm very glad he turned out oke!**

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Chapter 5 – Wolfie

Alexis aimed at the left hay bale and shot the arrow. As fast as she could, she reloaded and fired at a different hay bale.  
She shot her last arrow and looked up to see the results. It was disastrous.  
Most of the arrows had hit the intended hay bale and the bulls eye, but two or three arrows missed the bulls eye and more had missed the hay bale.

"That's because you focus on your targets and not on your actions." Halt walked up from behind her and shook his head. "Trust me, when you take your time, your shot is always perfect. Indeed, we are practicing fast shooting today and not sharp shooting, but think about it, when your enemy is heading your way, you need to take your time. Does it matter whether you take him down from ten meters or five? No, as long as you take him down. It is better to shoot slower and more accurate than faster, because you will miss if you shoot too fast."

Alexis nodded nervously. Everything today made her nervous.

Today was the three month mark. Today Halt was going to decide whether she could be his official apprentice or not.  
In the past three months, a lot had happened. Most of the days were the same: breakfast, chores, either stealth training or theory (topography, history, organization of armies and so on), lunch, chores, target practice and close combat training, dinner, chores and theory or stealth training.  
Every time they went outside Halt let Alexis search and decipher animal footprints.

Now and then something happened that was important enough to cancel those things, a mission, a meeting, a party or just a day off. On those rare free days Alexis went back to the inn to visit her parents, she helped them in the inn and told them about her life with Halt. But she could feel a distance growing between her and her parents. A gap that couldn't be filled.

Alexis started feeling nervous about three weeks ago, when Halt got the report from Will's secret mission to Macindaw. He had read the whole thing four times and when he talked about it Alexis could hear how proud he was about this boy.  
Will was like a son to him.

Apparently, the Ranger had retaken Macindaw by force, with magic tricks and twenty-five Skandians. Sir Keren had died and Lord Orman had taken charge of the Castle again.  
Plus, of course, he had successfully driven the Scotti back to Picta for at least the next year.

Alexis felt so much pressure when she read the report, how was she ever going to accomplish what that boy did? But she wanted to be a Ranger so bad…

Halt read her body language and patted her on the back: "Hey, you're going to be a good Ranger. I wouldn't have taken you as a student if I questioned your abilities."

Alexis looked up: "So this means…?"

"Yes," Halt nodded, "you're officially my apprentice. Now, collect your arrows and follow me. There is one more secret weapon we use and I want to introduce it to you."

Excited, Alexis collected her arrows and followed Halt into the forest. She was jumping with excitement thinking about this weapon.

_What can it be? A sword? No. I think it's not a weapon to kill with, it's probably an ability.  
Can Rangers fly? Don't be silly. It's something that helps us. Another object, like the Northseeker? No, otherwise Halt would've just showed it to me. It's probably an animal. Two extra ears and eyes and a sharp nose to watch._

One moment, fear and panic struck her – _Is it a horse?_

_No, it can't be, horses are too big and loud. I think it's a dog._

Satisfied with her conclusion she followed the man. A dog seemed logical. Small, but dangerous, sharp hearing, sharp eyes, sharp nose, sharp teeth and loyal.

She kept wondering about it, what race, what size and what her dog would be called and what colour it would be, when she saw the thing she feared most.

_Horses._

It couldn't be. But when they came closer, she saw that these horses weren't just horses. They were smaller and shaggy, with a barrel-like chest.

They stopped at the gate.  
"Hey, Old Bob!" Halt yelled.

They heard laughter: "Here I am Halt!"  
A man, as shaggy as the horses, walked out of one of the stables: "I see ya brought a foal with ya!"

Halt nodded: "Are they ready?"

Old Bob replied by whistling and two horses approached. Well, a horse and a pony actually. The horse was brown with black manes and the pony was grey.  
Both horses were build the same, a barrel-like chest and short legs.

Alexis wanted to back away but she decided that she had been childish. If she wanted to be a Ranger, she had to shove her fear for horses away.

The brown horse trotted to Halt and he gave him an apple. They seemed to talk for a while and Old Bob, who held the pony, nudged her: "This one is 'bout your size ain't he?"

Alexis nodded, nervously.

"Don't be shy, girl, he's never done no-one wrong. Ya can pat him."

Alexis took a step forward and with her heart bouncing in her throat, she stroked the horses mane.

"He's oké, I guess," she said, but she hadn't finished her sentence yet when the beast started growling.  
She jumped back.

"Holy-! Are you sure that's a horse and not a dog?"

Old Bob laughed: "Nah! This is Wolfie, he's the sweetest, but he growls!"

"A horse that growls?"

"Can't help it, girl!"

Now Halt started interfering with the conversation again: "Why don't you try to ride it?"

"Well, I have never rode a horse before, shouldn't I get some lessons?"

Old Bob laughed: "I can't teach you how to ride a horse when you're not on the animal." He threw the reins her way. "Try!"

Alexis, scared to death, took the reins and mounted the horse carefully. Wolfie's ears, that where quite big for a horse, pointed forward.

_Oké I'm sitting._

She wanted to get off real bad and that was solved for her almost immediately. When she softly pushed the horses tummy with her heels, the ponies muscles contracted, he jumped in the air, spun around, landed on his two forelegs and kicked her off.

Alexis floated through the air a few meters, landed face forward in the mud and shoved on until she came to a full stop.  
Her heart bounced in her throat, she was even more scared now and a little bit angry when she heard laughter.

Old Bob and Halt. Laughing. Because she fell off her horse.

_I am never getting back on that devil._

"What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, girl, if this were a normal horse. But it ain't, Wolfie is a Rangers horse and they have one secret."

"What?" she asked. Now they were pissing her off, with their wide grins and acting all 'you're so stupid for overlooking this'.

"Ranger horses have a password." Explained Halt, "You can only ride them when you said the password. It won't be easy to steal them that way."

"Yes. Okay." Alexis tried to understand, but she was still afraid the horse was going to throw her off again, password or no password.

"This one's password is," Old Bob started his sentence but he had to think deeply before remembering: "Oh! I know! It's Moonmoon!"

"Moonmoon?" Alexis repeated, a bit stunned.

"You have to say it to the horse, not to me!" Halt and Old Bob said at the same time.

She got up and approached the horse, but it was so scary. He wasn't bigger than Alexis, but Wolfie was heavier and stronger. He could probably bite very hard too.

It was as if the horse could feel she was afraid. He walked up to her and rubbed his soft nose against her cheek. She tried to back away but he whinnied softly:

_Why did you do that? I like you. I didn't want to throw you off._

Neither Halt nor Old Bob interfered. They saw something special was going on.

"But I'm afraid," she whispered into his ear.

Wolfie snorted, as if he wanted to say: _Afraid? Of me? I won't hurt you again, I promise._

Alexis nodded and whispered: "Moonmoon." Wolfie snorted again and took a few steps back, as if he invited her to climb on his back again.

Every particle in her body was shouting no, but she did it anyway. She climbed on Wolfie's back and touched his belly with her heels again.

No bucking her off this time, Wolfie started walking slowly, carefully, as if he knew she was afraid.

Alexis didn't use the reins, she clung unto the pommel and the horse slowly walked rounds around the pen.

"C'mon girl, take the reins! Don't be afraid!" Old Bob cheered.

Alexis did take the reins, but she didn't take control.

Old Bob walked over to her and took the reins: "Ya need some lessons."

Alexis nodded.

"Oké, don't be nervous, girl, ya gonna be fine." Old Bob stopped Wolfie and pulled her right foot. "Relax, girl, put ya toes on the stirrup an' the rest of the foot ya push down."

Alexis did as he asked but she pushed her foot down too hard and slipped out of the stirrups.

"Ya have to relax all your muscles, girl, just push 'em down softly."

Alexis hesitated, if she relaxed, she was going to fall. Scared, she looked at Old Bob. He was just standing there, one hand on her foot, the other on the neck of the horse and _smiling_.  
His bright blue eyes met her dark brown ones. That moment Alexis decided she trusted him.  
She relaxed.

"Good, now your pose is perfect, relaxt, straight. Now your hands,"

Alexis took the reins, but Old Bob shook his head.

"Ya ain't playing piano! Hold 'em straight, like your holding bars from a prison cell."

Alexis repositioned her hands and Old Bob started laughing.

"What?" Alexis asked, "What did I do wrong now?"

"Relax!" Old Bob said.

Alexis laughed nervously, she was still shaking like a little girl.  
Old Bob repositioned her a few times: "Oké, girl, try to walk, just softly push ya heels in the horses tummy. But be careful, he's got a very soft belly."

Alexis softly nudged Wolfie's stomach and he started walking.  
All her muscles contracted again and her hands went up. It took her a minute or two to get used to it and she relaxed again.

"Alexis?" Halt called her.

"Yes, Halt?" she responded. She knew what he was going to ask her.

"Are you afraid of horses?"

Alexis felt like she was going to burst out into tears. A bit clumsy, she stopped Wolfie: "Yes," she said softly.

Halt shook his head: "Why didn't you say so?"

"Because I was afraid I couldn't be a Ranger if I was afraid of horses." So, that was out. Alexis took a deep breath.

"Get off the horse." Halt said.

Alexis obeyed. Halt climbed over the fence and placed his hands on her shoulders. The small girl studied her boots.

"Look me in the eyes, little girl."

Alexis looked up and met his eyes. They were dark brown, almost black, just like hers.

"Alexis. Fear is a reflex, courage is a choice. You can't help being afraid, but you jumped on that horse anyway and when you fell off, you climbed back on again."

Alexis nodded.

"We will just stay here a little longer, let you get used to horses and Old Bob will help you ride them. Don't worry, it's going to be fine."

Alexis nodded and Halt returned to his position at the fence again. Old Bob helped her mount Wolfie and instructed her in what to do, when a skinny man ran out of the forest.

"Old Bob!" he yelled, "You need to lend me one of your horses!"

"What happened, Eddy?"

"My herd!" the man yelled, "Bandits stole my herd!"

"I have something better for you!" Old Bob said and he pointed at Halt and Alexis. "I have two Rangers!"

Halt nodded and mounted an unsaddled Abelard: "Come on Alexis!" he yelled as he spurred his horse.  
Alexis opened her mouth to protest but Old Bob had already opened the gate of the pen and slapped Wolfie on his hindquarters.

"Remember!" he yelled when Wolfie spurred away from the ranch, "Sit straight, keep your hands low and hold yourself on the horse with your legs!"

The first five minutes it was Wolfie following Abelard and Halt shouting instructions, but then, all of a sudden, Alexis understood.  
She felt a pattern in the horses' pace. It was smooth, Alexis took a better grip on the reins, sat straight up, clenched her legs together and steered Wolfie slightly to the left, where Halt was going.

The horse neighed: _Exactly!_

Alexis patted his neck, but when they turned around the corner the horse made a full stop. Alexis tumbled over his neck and fell face forward into the mud (she attracted mud for some reason).

Someone grabbed her in her collar and pulled her up. It was Halt.

The moment Alexis was standing on her own two feet again Halt released her collar and pulled an arrow out of his quiver: "King's Rangers!" he yelled. He shot the arrow towards the ugliest, biggest and probably most smelly bandit, that was trying to pull one cow, the leader of the herd, to the right.

The arrow missed the man. Well it didn't miss, it was a warning shot.

"The next one goes right between your eyes," he said, cold as stone, "Space enough."

Alexis snickered.

"Who is that kid you have with you? Are you teaching those bad habits to children too now?" The Bandit knew about the 'magical powers' of the Rangers, but look at what was standing before him: A girl, as green as grass, that wasn't even able to sit on a horse properly and an old man, oké, the old man had a big bow, but he missed him right?

The bandit got off his horse and pulled his sword, it was big, blunt and as ugly as its owner. Halt fired another arrow, right between his feet.

That scared the man.

He stopped, looked at the Rangers and his apprentice and slowly dropped his sword: "Oké, oké, what do you want from me?"

Halt pulled his bow string: "Collect your friends and take off their belts to tie their hands together." He sighed: "How are we going to get this herd back?"

Alexis looked at the man to see if that was a serious question (it was) and raised one eyebrow: "You've never driven a herd back to its farm. Oké."

Halt raised his shoulders: "What if I take care of the bandits and you take these cows back to where they belong."

Alexis nodded: "You take Wolfie, so…" she began but Halt shook his head: "Wolfie will follow you."

"Oké," Alexis said. She took the lasso the big, smelly bandit had dropped and successfully caught the leader of the herd.  
She jumped on her back and turned the cows head to where they came from, where she could see a ribbon of smoke emerge from a chimney.

"Hold on little girl," Halt called, "You are afraid of riding horses, but you jump on that lumpy beast without hesitation?"

"Yes, but cows never bit me. Horses did."

Halt sighed, but then proceeded in tying the five bandits together and the end of the rope to his horse. He turned Abelard around: "I'll see you at castle Redmont!"

"Wait, we're splitting up?" Alexis got nervous. "But what if I make a mistake?"

"Apologise and be sure to never make that mistake again!" Halt yelled while trotting away. The men behind him stumbled, fell, crawled up and started running with their hands tied together.

Alexis returned the cows to a very thankful farmer and rode back to Redmont. She joined Halt there: "You took your time." He mumbled grumpy.

"Well, I'm just a rookie." She smiled. "It's my first day on a horse!"

Alexis left the part out where she had walked all the way back with the shaggy horse following her.

Halt sighed and they rode back to Old Bobs ranch again. Night had already fallen and he had made dinner for the three of them.

"Tomorrow I'm going to teach you everything girl," he said smiling over his soup.

Alexis nodded, she hadn't entirely overcome her fear of horses, but it was easier now that she had ridden a horse and felt that it was all right.

But she knew that tomorrow was going to be easier than today.


	6. Rangers Apprentice

**My dearest readers, sorry for any typos in this little paragraph, I am typing this asap, since i have less than 2 minutes left on the counter of this funny little computer here in Gran Canaria. I couldn´t wait to upload this chapter! It s where book 8, the King of Clonmel, starts. I tried to stick to the book but I added alot of new things and conversations, because Halt isn´t alone this time. Because I´m Dutch, I translated my own book back to Enlgish again, so I won´t always bhe jsut like JF said, but I hope it fots, enjoy the chapter, and please, review!**

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Chapter 6 – Rangers Apprentice.

It was two days before the annual Ranger Gathering. Alexis was training like a madman. No more free hours, she started hours before sunrise and stopped hours after sunset, only pausing for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Halt relieved her of her chores, of course he saw her panic for her first year exams.

Alexis was a good knife thrower, she was good at the theoretical part of being a Ranger and knew the Couriers Code by heart. As an additional skill she picked up herbs and learned to recognize them, the healing ones, the edible ones and the poisonous ones. She and Wolfie had grown a band so strong that they were almost inseparable and she had almost entirely overgrown her fear of horses in the past six months.  
She could touch a steed without squealing and was very proud of it.

But there was one small point of concern that bothered Alexis: her sharpshooting abilities.  
Alexis was probably one of the fastest shooters in the Kingdom, she could fire ten arrows in five seconds or less, but they missed the intended spot. Most of the time by a few centimetres, but, as Halt kept saying, a few centimetres could miss an entire head or you could accidently kill someone.

Alexis had nodded and went back on focusing on her target, which was about one-hundred meters away and as big as a plate.

Because of all her training and her effort it was a bit disappointing when Halt told her they were not going to the Gathering that year.

"What? Why?" She stuttered, "But I trained so hard! And, and I want to meet other Rangers!"

Halt nodded: "I understand. But I have consulted Crowley and I really need to check out the situation in Selsey and…"

"But Selsey is not even part of Redmont!"

Halt raised his hand: "I do not like it when you interrupt me, girl."

Alexis bowed her head and mumbled: "Sorry."

Halt nodded, apologies accepted: "Yes, but it is part of Araluen and it needs attention. There is a cult active, the Outsiders, they pray for a god named 'Alseias', the golden god and we need to investigate before it gets out of hand." He reached in his pockets: "But as I said, I have consulted Crowley and a few other Rangers and we decided that you passed your first year exams. But you have to work on your sharpshooting."

There, out of his pocket came a small, bronze, oak leaf emblem. Halt gave it to her and Alexis studied the little thing. She looked up: "I passed my first year exams? How?"

"With the skills you have and the effort you put in to it."

She turned the small oak leaf in her hand: "What is it?"

He pulled his own, a silver one, out of his shirt: "These are your credentials, wear it and every guard throughout the Kingdom will recognize you and you will gain access to almost any castle and army in Araluen and beyond."

"But yours is silver and mine is bronze?" Asked Alexis, "Why?"

Halt nodded: "Sharp, Bronze is for students, silver for active Rangers and gold for a retired one. Now go pack your bags! We leave early tomorrow."

Alexis nodded, got up and ran to her bedroom. She grabbed her backpack and started stuffing it with dried herbs, a first aid kit, extra clothes and a spare throwing knife.

She heard Halt call her from the living room and stuck her head around the corner of the doorframe: "Yes, Halt?"

"Do you want coffee?" He held up the coffee kettle and shook it.  
Alexis nodded: "Yes please, I'll be back in a minute."

She sighed, that's something that changed too in the past six months, she had gone from coffee hater to a complete coffee addict.  
Well, there are a few things you learn from Halt. You learn how to shoot, you learn how to throw knifes and you learn how to drink your coffee with honey.

She pulled the laces of the backpack tight and looked around. Did she forget anything?  
No, probably not. Her eyes fell on her journal, she hadn't written in the thing for months, but decided to stuff it in the bag anyway.

Alexis followed the delicious scent of coffee to the living room and sat down on the couch.  
Halt handed her a cup of coffee and she thankfully accepted it, playing with her oak leaf.

"Halt?" she asked.

"Yes, girl?"

"Why are you taking me with you?"

"What, to Selsey? Because you can learn from it and because I think you can be helpful."

Alexis nodded, accepting the compliment: "Yes, but what if I make a mistake."

Halt laughed: "Oh, trust me, you are going to make mistakes, more than one, but please make sure you _learn_ from them and never make them again."

Alexis nodded, drank the last bit of her coffee and threw the sludge in the fire: "I'm going to bed. Will you wake me tomorrow?"

Halt nodded: "Goodnight."

Alexis walked to her bedroom, with her oak leaf in her hand.  
She smiled and tied it around her neck before she went to bed.

No three bangs on the door that morning, just a gentle touch on her shoulder and a soft: "Wake up girl, we're leaving."

Alexis jumped out of bed and got dressed. The scent of bacon, toast and coffee filled her nose and grabbing her bag, she ran towards the living room and a plate full of bacon, toast and eggs. She ate it all, ran to wash the dishes and then outside, to saddle the horses.

Halt walked outside and stopped when he saw the little girl running around with saddles and supplies: "Are you excited?" he asked.

Alexis shook her head: "I love the morning air, Halt!"

Halt shook his head when he saw the girl mounting her horse. Wolfie danced a few steps forward, he could feel the excitement.

"Just wait for I few minutes, I have to saddle Abelard." He wanted to walk to the stables but heard a whinny in the pen. Abelard, already saddled and ready to go, reacted when he heard his boss call his name.

"Did you…?" He asked, mounting Abelard.

Alexis nodded before he could finish his sentence: "Yes, Halt."

They trotted away from the little cabin in the clearing. The two rode in silence for a few hours when Halt stopped: "Lunchtime."

Alexis nodded, she got off her horse and searched for the supplies.

"Just some bread and dried fruits, we can eat at the inn in Selsey tonight." Said Halt, "and don't bother for coffee," he said when he saw her pulling the beans out of the bag, "No fire before we know what's going on in Selsey."

"We know what's going on."

Halt smiled: "That why we have to be careful. We need to take some extra precautions and go in as civilians."

Alexis looked up from the supplies: "Why?"

"Because, if we go running around Selsey like the two big tough Rangers we pretend to be, everyone, including the cult, is going to notice. But, we are going to ditch our cloaks and our bows and our knifes, our oak leaves and our horses and go on foot. We have dinner, we rent a room, measure the situation and disappear." Halt tore a piece of bread apart.

Alexis chuckled and ate her own bread.

"What's so funny?" Halt asked, going from helpful teacher to grumpy old man again.

"You never eat the crusts. You always tear them off and feed them to Abelard."

Halt reacted at bit angry: "Well, Abelard likes the crust very much."

"Well, Wolfie likes apples very much and you won't let him eat a lot."

"That's because…" Halt fell quiet. "Just don't say anything to Pauline, oké?"

Alexis laughed and swallowed the last bit of dried plum.

It was getting dark, Halt had just returned from his first scout around town.

"We're not going in,"

Alexis looked up in surprise: "What? Why not? I was looking forward to eating in a restaurant."

"Listen carefully, there are three stages of a cult: stage one, they arrive in the town, peacefully praying and telling people about their good god that tolerates non-believers and followers of other gods, he protects everyone.  
But then, stage two, bad luck falls upon the wealthy and flourishing city, their houses catch fire out of nowhere, their cattle gets murdered or stolen."

"Why?"

"Because, the good great god the cult worships, has one arch enemy, he follows the good god with bad luck and hate. The only way to stop him is to pray, to make the good god stronger."

"And how to they steal their riches?"

"That's stage three: there is only one way to make the good god stronger, they need to build an altar, out of gold, because, surprise, surprise, this time, we have to deal with: 'Alseias, the golden god'. The cult only asks once and when the people refuse, the bullying goes on. But then, they murder a few important persons, so the townspeople will have no choice but to give them all their gold and riches. So when they stacked up and there is really nothing left in this town, they run away."

"At what stage are we now?"

Halt smiled: "Halfway through stage three."

Alexis nodded: "And what are we going to do?"

Halt sat down, carefully placing his long bow next to him: "You are not going to do anything. You are going to watch and stay with the horses. I am going to prevent them from murdering anyone or setting anything on fire."

"What do you think is going to happen?"

It took Halt quite a long time to formulate an answer, but when he replied he sounded quite sure of himself: "They are going to set the boats on fire."

Alexis gave him some bread and dried fruits for dinner: "How do you know?"

Halt took the bread, pulled the crust of and fed it to Abelard before he replied: "Think about it. You can figure that out, I'm sure you're smart enough."

It took Alexis more time than Halt to figure it out, he didn't help her, he didn't gave her any hints, but about an hour later, Alexis gasped: "I know!"

Halt smiled, proud of his student: "Tell me."

"Well, when King Herbert was dividing the land between fifty fighting Barons one-hundred fifty years ago, he forgot about Selsey right? Because it is so small and hidden between the mountains. Because King Herbert forgot about it, they didn't have to pay any taxes. Therefore, this little town could flourish and grow wealthy and they could do whatever they pleased. Their main income comes from fishing. They sell that inlands. King Duncan has always tolerated this little town, but if the Outcasts burn their boats, they won't have an income for a while, until they have built new boats. But they need money to build new boats and they don't have money. But if they would have paid taxes the past one-hundred fifty years, King Duncan would be able to lend them some money, but since they're not part of the treaty, I'm sure the good King Duncan would be willing to lend them some money, but there are a lot of legal issues and all the other small towns bordering either Picta or Celtica would start moaning about money too."

Halt patted her on the back: "Very, very good that you figured that out all by yourself." He shot a glaze at the moon. "It's time to go. Leave the horses here, follow me unto the edge of the forest and wait there." He paused for a moment, "And, please, when you think I'm in danger, don't hesitate to shoot."

Alexis nodded and followed Halt to the edge of the forest, where he installed her on a safe spot and slowly slid down the hill, into the bushes and disappeared.

"How do you want me to back you up when I can't even see you?" Alexis mumbled.

Everything stayed the same for a good two hours, Alexis didn't even catch a glimpse of Halt, until she saw someone move.  
Two people actually. They were sneaking around the dock, quickly running for a few metres and then ducking behind a barrel or something else.

Alexis laughed, them sneaking like that made them look more suspicious than when they just casually walked towards the boats.  
The two were discussing something and then split up. Probably they decided to each light a different boat. The man closest to Alexis kneeled and brought his firestone to the rope when he disappeared out of sight. About half a minute later, another man took his place, Halt.

Alexis smiled. The man that wasn't unconscious yet had succeed in starting a fire. Halt got up, approached the man and knocked him out too. Then he started running and yelled: "Fire! Fire! The boats are on fire!"

He ran up the hill, followed by four men. Alexis raised her bow to shoot one but Halt had already past her, pulling her with him: "Don't shoot, just run!"

Alexis stuffed the arrow back in her quiver and followed the grey bearded man. They ran away and about half a kilometre further Halt stopped: "Catch your breath."

They hid behind a tree for a moment, panting heavily. When they both had caught their breath, Halt nodded: "Let's get back to the horses and then get the hell out of here. He turned around and bumped right into a big, lumpy man: "And who might you be?" He growled, raising the big wooden stick he used as a weapon. Halt reacted quickly, he dodged the bat and kicked the man's left knee.  
The man groaned and started yelling: "Help! Help! Here! I'm being attacked!"

Halt turned around, nudged Alexis and the two disappeared like ghosts into the forest, quickly running for their horses.


	7. The mill-hand from Rosdale

**oke, quick update before going to work ;) Maggiestarjump, I took into account what hyou said and after re-reading I found out you were right. Thank you very much for pointing that out to me, I hope I did a better job this chapter.  
It's a bit (1.000 words) longer than usual... but I had a long holiday with no wifi haha.  
enjoy and please review!**

**I have one more quick question. I'm from the Netherlands and only have the Dutch books... can anyone tell me the original name of the bad god in book 8? I can't find it anywhere... thanxxx**

* * *

Chapter 8 - The mill-hand from Rosdale

"So what are we going to do now?" Alexis rubbed her hands together nervously, shooting looks between Halts arm and the unconscious man (Alexis wasn't quite sure whether he was unconscious or asleep, since he started snoring half an hour ago).

Halt scraped his throat: "Waiting for our beauty to wake up."

Alexis nodded: "Luckily he is about my size."

"He is fatter."

The man mumbled something and turned around, but was still asleep.

"Oké, girl," Halt mumbled, "You're going to let me do all the talking."

"What do I do?" Alexis asked.

"You are going to sit on that rock, with your hood drawn forward, face in the shadows. Just sharp your Saxe knife with your whetstone or something. Be scary and intimidating."

"But you're the scarier one…" Alexis protested and a bit to late she thought that it might be a bit disrespectful to call Halt scary. But he agreed.

"Indeed, but because I am scary and talking, he is going to think you're scarier because you're not talking. If I'm going to let you interrogate him, he'll probably just laugh in your face."

Alexis nodded, unsheathed her Saxe knife and started sharpening it. Right on cue (and thanks to Halt kicking him in his side), the man started moaning and woke up. He probably wanted to rub his hand against his head to ease the pain, but found them tied together. He gasped in pain when the ropes cut in his wrists.

"If you stay where you are, it won't hurt so much." Halt mumbled in a deep voice.

The man looked up, startled, he hadn't noticed Halt until now, but the small man, unshaven and with a mottled grey-green cloak, wasn't going to be much of a challenge, he decided.

"Who are you?" he asked snippy. Alexis could hear from his tone that he was used to giving orders and scolding people.

Halt smiled. Halt didn't smile very often and most of the time when he smiled, it wasn't because he was happy. This was one of those smiles that was without joy, one of those creepy smiles that made Alexis' neck hairs raise. That was Halts 'you've done something terribly wrong'-smile.

"I'm afraid that I am the one asking the questions here." Halt said calmly, "Who are you? What's your name?"

"And why would I tell you?" the Outsider asked, still quite sure of himself.

Halt scratched himself behind his ear and answered: "Let me analyse the situation for you, _friend_, just to be clear about things. You are sitting opposite of me, tied up like a pig ready for slaughter. You can barely move. You probably have a headache and, for now, you still have two ears."

Alexis bit her lip not to chuckle.

"My ears?" the man barked, "What do my ears have to do with this?"

"Just," answered Halt, "that if you don't stop pretending you're the boss, I'll be so kind to remove one of them." He tapped the ground and, without changing his tone, he said: "Girl?"

Alexis understood. She stopped her polishing work and threw the Saxe knife, right on the spot Halt tapped on. She then proceeded to unsheathe her throwing knife and sharpen it.

Halt pulled the knife out of the sand and played with it, turning the blade in the light of the moon: "So," he said, "I don't think I caught your name?" there was no trace left of the smile, there was a tone in Halts voice that convinced the man to just answer the question.

"Colly," he said, "Colly Deekers, a mill-hand from Rosdale."

Rosdale was a big town, Alexis knew that from her lessons topography, about fifteen kilometers away.

"O, Colly," said Halt, "I think we'd get along better if you stop lying to me. Maybe you are indeed from Rosdale, but I'm pretty sure you're not a mill-hand and you are definitely a liar. Let's not lie to each other about stupid little details, oké?"

Colly was silent. He had found the man he was supposed to find, supposed to kill when possible. He didn't doubt that the small man in the grey cloak knew that.  
Suddenly, Colly's throat felt dry. He swallowed a few times: "My friends will pay you to let me go!" he tried.

Halt tilted his head: "No they won't" he said disdainful, "They'll try to kill me. Don't be silly and certainly don't think you can trick me. I hate it when people do that, and don't do things that I hate. You wouldn't want that in your position, would you?"

"What are you going to do with me?" Colly croaked a bit.

"Tomorrow morning," Halt said, "Very early, at the first light of dawn, I'm going to let you go."

No sarcasm this time and Colly got his hopes up: "L-let me go?" he stuttered.

Halt pursed his lips: "Yes. But under one condition."

The little spark of hope was gone immediately: "One condition?" Colly asked suspicious.

Halt turned his eyes: "Yes. Did you expect me to untie you and let you walk off and away? I'm not crazy."

This time, Alexis did chuckle.

Halt ignored her, let the chuckle speak for itself: "Listen, if you would've had the chance to escape you would've killed me and my friend here. But I'm giving you a chance to escape, just a small one though, and up the hill."

"U-up the hill? But there is nothing there!" Colly did not understand what Halt expected from him.

"Yes there is," said Alexis in a low voice, "There is a river and it's probably deep enough to jump in."

"Probably?"

Halt nodded: "Yes, but I figured it _is_ deep enough to jump in… wait, can you swim?"

"Yes, of course I can swim," Colly said, "But I'm not just going to jump in the river because you say so!"

"No, no, of course not. That'd be too much of a favour. But you're going to jump, because, if you won't, I'll shoot an arrow in your chest! It's the same for me, because when I shoot you, you're falling in the river as well. But I was so kind to think, let's give this man a little chance of surviving. My friend here thought different about it. She just wanted to shoot you." Halt was silent for a moment and then added: "O, and if you might think that running down the hill is the solution, I'll shoot you too. Up and in the river, that's your only change."

"You can't be serious!" protested Colly, "Do you really believe that…"

Halt raised his hand to stop Colly before he could even finish his sentence. He looked the greasy man right in the eyes and his voice was deadly: "Colly, my friend, look into my eyes, very careful and tell me when you can see the slightest trace of me not being serious here."

Halts eyes didn't blink, they didn't look away and the only think Colly saw was a man who never made jokes, a man that rarely smiled.  
A man that would shoot him if he didn't do as told.

After a few seconds Colly couldn't bear the look anymore and his own eyes flew down, studying the grass beneath his feet.  
Halt nodded approvingly.

"Good, so we agreed. Try to rest, you'll need it tomorrow."

The first morning light touched the hill when Halt softly woke Alexis.

"Hey, good morning girl, it's time to go on with our act."

Alexis nodded and rubbed her eyes: "What time is it?"

"Little over six."

Alexis moaned, pulling her hood over her head, drawing her face in the shadows.

"I'm hungry."

"So am I. We'll send Colly up the hill, escape and head back to Redmont as fast as we can. We're going to have to skip breakfast."

Alexis moaned again: "Really?"

Halt nodded: "Yes. But I'll promise you that when we get back home tonight I'll make you a lamb stew."

Alexis smiled and took her position at the rock. Just like that night, she sharpened her Saxe knife.

Halt walked over to Colly, cutting the ropes from his arms and (while holding his breath) from his feet. The man took a few steps back, pulled his Saxe knife and poked his hostage with a stick.

Colly woke up and started moaning, stretching his muscles and trying to get the blood flow running again in his wrists.

"It'll take a while before you're oké again," Halt said, "So I wouldn't try anything if I were you. O, and take your coat off."

Colly, still lying on his side, turned his head to shoot a look at Halt. Was this man joking?

"My coat?"

Halt raised his left eyebrow impatiently: "Have you gone deaf over the night? Take your coat off!"

Colly sat up and buttoned down his coat. When he was done, he dropped it on the ground, next to him. The Ranger nodded.

"Good. Now put on the cloak next to you."

Colly looked to the right and saw Halt's grey-green camouflage cloak. A but puzzled, he picked it up and wrapped the thing around his shoulders and closed the button at his throat.  
He started to understand what Halt was trying to do.

"Now, get up you!" said Halt. He grabbed Colly's underarm and pulled his on his feet.

A couple of seconds, the man stood still, testing his arms and legs, probably.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Colly leapt forward, trying to punch Halt in the face. Alexis had to swallow her warning scream, because Halt had seen it coming and ducked away without any trouble.  
He also punched Colly in his throat and the man fell down again.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you," Halt said. He didn't sound angry, just calm. Alexis understood that, whatever the Outsider would try, Halt would always see it coming and be able to prevent it.

Colly got on his feet again and Halt tried on the thick, woollen coat. He pulled up his nose: "This thing smells worse than your feet. It's a good thing I'm throwing you in the river, might make you smell better."  
Halt ducked again, pulled Colly's hat off his head and put it on his own.

"Walk around for a bit," Halt ordered him, "Get your blood flowing. I want you in the best condition possible for my little race."

Colly raised his head: "And you still think I'm going to run up that hill?" he said arrogant.

Halt shrugged: "Oké, so I'll just kill you here. You don't have much choice."

Colly looked Halt in his dark eyes again and again he saw nothing but the certainty of death again.  
He sighed and got up, stretching his arms and legs.

Halt grabbed his quiver and swung it around his shoulder: "Listen, if you're trying to be funny or smart or anything. I'll shoot you in the leg. Not badly enough to stop you from running, but I promise, it will hurt you badly."

Halt positioned the man behind the rocks and started explaining: "Good, you're going to run and when you hear me screaming and shouting, you start running faster,"

"But they'll think that you're me!"

"And that's exactly the point!"

"But they'll chase me up the hill!" squeaked Colly, pointing down to where his 'friends' were.

"Not if you jump! Then they'll go down to the stream while my friend and I jump on our horses and ride back to Redmont!"

Colly moved, his attitude went to arrogant again. He thought he had found a way out: "And what if I won't jump?"

Halt rolled his eyes: "O, don't be afraid, you'll jump. Do you know why? Because you have no cover there."

Colly studied the cliff again. The small man was right. No big rocks, no trees to duck behind, just tall grass that wasn't tall enough _at all_.

"And if you stop at the edge, if you wait, I'll shoot an arrow five centimetres above your head. As a warning."

Colly frowned, he didn't understand Halt.

"And five seconds later, I'll shoot an arrow five centimetres under your head, right through your throat. Capish?"

Colly touched his neck, as if he could feel the arrow piercing through it. Now he got it: "Right," he mumbled with a dry throat.  
He watched while Halt took an arrow out of his quiver and positioned it on his gigantic bow in one, smooth movement.

"So, get ready. I've always been told that jogging in the morning is good for your health." He waited for a while, and when Colly didn't move or answer, he went on: "And swimming is even better."

Colly's eyes flashed from the edge of the forest, to Halt and the cliff.

"Apparently you need prove that I am serious." He said, "Do you see the dead tree, about forty meters from here?"

Colly pinched his eyes together and found the tree Halt pointed at. There it was, dark brown with a pitch black branch pointing to the side. That was where the lightning had hit.

He nodded: "Yes, I see it. So what?"

"When you pass the tree I'll shoot an arrow at it. Can you see the light spot to the right, there were used to be a branch?"

Colly stared in the distance, it was very hard to see, but he saw it, the small little spot on the right side. He nodded.

"That's the spot I'm going to hit. If I miss, you might have a chance when you run down…"

Colly opened his mouth to say something, but Halt closed in on him and whispered in his ear: "But I won't miss. And remember you're easier to hit than that little spot over there."

Colly tried to swallow again. His throat because a dry as sandpaper again: "Can I have a drink?" he asked.  
He was scared. He tried to delay his execution.

Halt sent him that cold smile again: "Of course you can drink! As much as you want! When you're in the river. Now go!"

Colly waited, hesitating.

Halt raised his bow to get Colly's attention and then, all of a sudden, he yelled: "NOW!" and swept his bow in the poor man's direction.

Because of the scream and the sudden threat of getting spanked with a bow, Colly leapt forward, away from the rock and out in the open. Halts cloak waved behind him.

Halt waited until the man was twenty metres away and then leapt into the open too, from behind the stones: "She's taking a run for it!" he yelled, "The girl escaped! Get her!"

Halt heard the screaming of men and the chaos when the dogs pulled their leaches. A couple of man ran out of the forest, but hesitated. Where was the girl running to? More men appeared from the forest.

"Look! She's escaping! Get her!" Halt yelled again. He turned and looked up, Colly had almost reached the dead tree. The man stepped out of sight again and he pulled his bowstring backwards, almost without looking, with no effort, he let the arrow fly away.

Of course it hit the tree in the intended spot, and Colly, scared and shocked (and a bit late), covered his head and ran away from the tree.

More Outsiders had emerged from the forest but none of them was too hasty. The girl had nowhere to go, right? Dogs pulled their leaches, barking enthusiastic. These were the sniffing dogs, of course. The fighting dogs were silent.

Colly had almost reached the top now. Alexis drew her hood back, watching the man run the last few meters, panting.

Halt readied another arrow and shot it, right in the intended spot, five centimetres over Colly's head.

Alexis watched Colly hesitate, then rub the spot on his neck again and jumped.

"O my God, he really did it." Alexis mumbled.

Halt hung his bow on his back and mounted Abelard: "Didn't expect that, huh?"

The two, the Ranger and his Apprentice, watched the Outsiders turn around in confusion: "She jumped in the river! We have to be quick before she escapes!"

Halt and Alexis watched amused, patiently waiting until every last of them had disappeared and then the two rode down the hill.

"You smell like fish, Halt." Alexis mumbled, smiling. Abelard whinnied: _Indeed!_

"I know," said Halt, "But you should've smelled his socks!"

When they reached the road, Alexis pulled Wolfie's head to the east, to Redmont.

"Hold on girl," said Halt, pulling his horse North West. "I have to handle something."

Alexis turned her horse around and followed the old man back to Selsey.

When they arrived, Halt rode to the Outsider camp and stopped at the biggest, best looking tent. Alexis followed his example.

He dismounted Abelard, walked up to the guard and said: "Kings Ranger, let me in."

Alexis saw the guard shake his head.  
But Halt was impatient. Without warning, he simply knocked the guard out by bashing his striker against the man's chin. He disposed of the man by shoving him away and looked towards Alexis: "Follow me, girl."

Alexis followed him into the tent. There were two men, one dressed in fine clothes, he was tall, broad and a little bit chubby. The other was dressed humble, just a white robe and a brown coat.

"You!" the man in the brown coat said surprised. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Halt ignored the brown-coat-man and looked at the fatter one: "You have been robbed and lied to, Lord." He said straightforward. "Farrell here and his 'friends' are about to leave with all your gold and riches."

The fat man's eyes, who had been looking at Halt since he walked in, shot a suspicious look at Farrell.

Farrell laughed nervously and pointed at the massive golden altar: "I promised we would use the money and gold to build an altar. We did. Do you think we can just walk away with a that massive thing? It must weigh tons!"

"Oh, no," Halt walked towards the altar. In the corner of his eyes he saw Farrell was trying to sneak away. "Watch the door, girl."

Alexis nodded: "I'll kneecap the person trying to escape."

Halt nodded approvingly and pulled his Saxe knife: "Look at your golden altar, Lord Wilfred!" he said and he split the first layer in two.

It was actually just a wooden, worthless thing with a little layer of golden paint on it. The inside was hollow and hidden in the thing were sacks of riches.

"There is all the money and gold, packed up in bags so they can run off with it!" said Halt, pointing at the bags.

Wilfred turned slightly red: "You're a dead man, Farrell," he growled.

Farrell tried to hide behind Halt, squeaking.

"No he's not," said Halt silent.

"O yea? And who do you think you are!" yelled the man, boiling with anger.

"I'm the man who prevented your boats getting set on fire last night. I'm the man who just gave you your gold back. You can have all the others, but this one is mine. I want to question him at Redmont."

A boy, probably Lord Wilfred's page, opened his mouth to say something, but a gesture from Wilfred silenced him: "And are you in a position to give us orders?" he asked.

"I'm a Kings Ranger." Halt said. "And so is the girl."

Alexis nodded, but she kept her eyes fixed on Farrell.

Soft mumbling went through the tent: _A Ranger? A Kings Ranger? What did they have to do here?_

Halt grabbed Farrell by his arm and pulled him out of the tent, Alexis followed.

They passed the guard that Halt had knocked out and mounted their horses, Halt tying Farrell to his saddle. That man wasn't even worth a pack horse. He could walk.

Alexis took a deep breath. They were safe, they were (sort of) unharmed and they were heading back to Redmont and a delicious lamb stew. But there was one thing left that bothered her.

The question was burning on her lips but she waited until they had stopped for a short break and Farrell couldn't hear her: "Halt?"

"Yes, girl?"

"Why did Farrell recognize you?"

Halt sighed: "To be honest girl, I'd love to know that too."


	8. An unexpected Welcome

**So, hi there again! JeBuurman, I do think Brabant is very convienient. THAT'S WHERE I LIVE. Tilburg here, and you? Have you been to the fair here? It was awesome again and thanks for your review btw, your rant about bookshops made me laugh ;) but Alseias is the name of the golden God, I seek the name of his nemesis... Anyway, INTRODUCING A VERY SPECIAL PERSON IN THIS CHAPTER :D. I keep trying to follow the book as much as possible, but that's boring so I'm trying to change a few things... Alexis' ways are different than Flanagan one's. Anyway... enough me, enjoy the chapter!**

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Chapter 8 – Unexpected welcome.

They arrived in Redmont a little later than expected, because they couldn't ride full speed with a slow, spoiled man tied to Halts saddle.

Farrell was constantly moaning: "Excuse me sir? Can't we go a little bit slower?" and "I'm hungry!"

Every time he asked something like that, Halt just said: "No." and ignored him.

When they entered the courtyard, Halt saw Sir Rodney talking to a guard. Halt called the Battle school master and the tall, muscular man walked towards them: "Halt, what do we have here?"

"A prisoner. I'd like to interrogate him. But not today. Can you get him a cell and dinner?" Halt mumbled while looking around, searching for something.

Rodney laughed: "Sure I can. And if you're looking for Lady Pauline, she's eating at Jenny's tonight, with Will and Alyss. I heard her talk about that today." He untied Farrell and called the guard he had been talking to moments earlier and another colleague.  
"Make sure this man is locked safe away in our dungeons and bring him an evening meal. Some bread and water will suffice."

The guards nodded and dragged Farrell with them.

Halt nodded to Rodney: "Well, we'll be off!" he said, a little jolly.

Rodney laughed again: "Say hi to your wife for me!"

Jenny's restaurant was crowded. There were at least sixty people inside, but Halt dragged Alexis along to the biggest table in the middle of the room. There were four people sitting there, four people Alexis did not knew.

They caught the last sentence of their conversation: "He said he would tell that when he arrived. I thought he'd be here sooner than me.

"But I had some delay on my way home. And a prisoner." Halt said in his usual, low voice.

"Halt!" the smallest man of the group jumped out of his chair. He was skinny, with brown curls and a handsome face.

Alexis estimated he was about six years older than she was.

The man ran towards Halt without even noticing Alexis and hugged him. Halt moaned and the man let him go, smiling bright: "Are you getting old, old man?"

Halt shook his head: "No. I got shot."

The young man started asking a series of questions without even taking a breath (or giving Halt time to answer): "What's going on? A prisoner? Why does Horace have to come? Where are we going? You got shot?"

Halt rolled his eyes: "Before I answer any of your questions, is it oké if I say hello to my wife first?"

The man nodded and Halt walked towards Lady Pauline. When he did that, he revealed Alexis, who had been hiding behind him like a shy toddler.

"Hey Halt, you didn't tell me you had a new apprentice!" He looked at Alexis and offered his hand.

She shook it: "I'm Alexis Middleson."

"Will Treaty."

Her eyes widened: "_The_ Will Treaty?" she stuttered. "The Will Treaty that burned Morgarath's bridge? Who established a treaty with the Skandians? The one that drove the Scotti away from our borders last winter?"

Will laughed and nodded: "Do you know any other Will Treaty's?" He turned around to see that Halt was done hugging Lady Pauline and started introducing Alexis to the others: "That is Alyss," he said, pointing to a tall, blonde girl with a charming smile.

She waved: "Hi Alexis,"

"That's Lady Pauline, my wife and Alyss' mentor." Halt continued.

"Well, _former_ mentor, sweetie, she is a real Courier now." Lady Pauline responded with a smile. She was, like Alyss, tall and beautiful, but her hairs were grey instead of blonde.

Alexis had known that Halt was married. Every weekend he gave Alexis a day of (and once a month the whole weekend) to visit her parents and she had vaguely understood he visited a Lady Pauline in castle Redmont, where the two had their apartment. But Halt insisted of living in the cabin for the first years of Alexis' apprenticeship to teach and mentor her as good as possible.

"And that is your Commandant," Halt concluded, pointing to Crowley.

Alexis half bowed, half nodded nervously, not sure what to do. The grey haired man did the thing she least expected, he started laughing.

"Welcome to the Rangers, Alexis!"

Alexis laughed nervously and every one sat down again. Alexis just stood there, not sure where to sit.

Her problem was solved for her almost immediately. Will, spontaneous and enthusiastic, wanted to get to know Alexis and Halt, grim and trustworthy, a rock in the sea, always there, had reserved a spot for her in the middle. Alexis sat down, thankful.

A chubby girl, about the same age as Will and Alyss, emerged out of the kitchen with a dangerously looking wooden ladle in her hand. She had to be the chef.

"That's Jenny," Will said to Alexis, "She is the best cook in Araluen and grew up with us in the ward."

Jenny opened her mouth to say something to Will, but then saw Halt and Alexis and turned to back to the kitchen: "Francisca!" she yelled, "Can you get another lamb out of the freezer for me? And Rafael…?"

"I know, I know!" a small boy ran towards the big table, "Two more people at table one!"

The dishes were fantastic. Alexis and Halt hadn't eaten properly for two days but everyone attacked like they hadn't been eating for a year. Halt didn't want to discuss business at the dinner table, so Will pointed his questions towards Alexis, but, after a dangerous look from Halt, the girl decided it would be better to wait too.

Alexis heard them speak of important business. Some sort of special service that had been established within the Rangers Corps, a service involving Halt, Will and Horace, who had been a team for years. Halt and Will would have to share Redmont, meaning that had would fall back to his apartment in the castle and Will would come live with Alexis in the cabin. Halt would still be her mentor, but the lessons would start a little later. A Ranger that Alexis hadn't heard of yet, Gilan, was involved too. He was assigned to watch Fief Redmont while Halt and Will were gone and was Ranger of Fief Wetborg, the fief north of Redmont.

There was one story that did interest her, Rodney was getting married.

"Rodney?" Halt asked in surprise, "That grumpy old bachelor?"

"People said the same when they heard you were getting married, sweetheart." Lady Pauline said smiling.

Will and Crowley nodded simultaneously.

After dinner, when Rafael had served coffee (and the three Rangers, except for Crowley, had filled their mugs with honey), Halt leaned forward and scraped his throat.

"Business." He said, and everyone was silent. "Listen, the Outsiders plan to conquer Hibernia."

"Hibernia?" Lady Pauline sounded a bit puzzled, "What are they going to do with Hibernia?"

"Conquer it." Halt said simple. "They grew stronger and stronger, since we kicked them out of Araluen twenty years ago. Now they have infiltrated five of the six Kingdoms, Clonmel is the last one standing."

"Clonmel? Isn't that where you're from, Halt?" asked Crowley.

Both Will and Alexis shot their heads up in surprise.  
_Clonmel? _She thought surprised, and she caught Wills eyes.

He shrugged: "I vaguely knew he was from Clonmel but he never said anything about it." He whispered.

Alexis nodded: "He never says anything about everything."

Halts answer was as short as possible: "Yes." But he continued about Clonmel politics (yaay!)

"King Ferris is a weakling and just like all other Kings in Hibernia he is so afraid someone will try to take his throne that he turned blind to all the other, _real_, dangers in his country."

"Holy… those Outsiders have really worked something out, haven't they?" Lady Pauline remarked troubled. "They used to operate on a smaller scale didn't they? And now they really want to take over a whole country and steal it from its riches?"

Halt nodded: "Yes, everywhere throughout Clonmel they cause panic and chaos. And when a King, like Ferris, is too weak to do anything about it or too busy playing King to actually be one, the Outsiders stand up and offer to solve the problems in the country,"

"Which is not that hard," shrugged Crowley, "Since they're the one causing them."

"Exactly," replied Halt, "And within a few days the whole land thinks that they're the only ones able to prevent the crime. That's how they spread their power, a lot of people convert and then it's only a small step to completely taking over the Kingdom."

Alexis didn't understand: "But why does the King let it happen?"

Will nodded: "Yes, don't they understand that their position becomes untenable?"

"The leader of the Outsiders there is a man called Tennyson," Halt explained, "He is clever enough to not openly oppose the King. They can keep their Throne. He wants the power, and the taxes of course."

Pauline nodded: "So actually it just seems like the King is in power, but in the meanwhile…"

"He takes over, yes. And, until now, the Kings don't seem to have a lot of problems with that."

"Well, those are horrible Kings!" Will said indignant.

Alexis nodded: "How can they not care about their Kingdom? That's their jobs!"

Halt nodded, looking a bit sad: "Yes, they are weaklings, only caring about money. That is why it's so easy for Tennyson to take over. A man that charismatic, handsome and smart, is the perfect hero. A saviour for the Kingdom, help the people escape their horrible Kings. He did it in five Kingdoms and Clonmel will fall soon enough."

"Halt!" Crowley leaned forward, supporting his head with his hands, "I understand that it's all very sad and that those people are in a lot of trouble, but I don't see what we have to do with this? No offense, but I'm sure you'll understand."

Alexis studied Halt closely. Of course she understood he felt sorry for his old country, but he had left it and why did Araluen have something to do with it?

"O please, don't feel sorry," Halt said, "Of course I understand, but I'm afraid Araluen will have to do something with it, or at least, very soon. When Tennyson is strong and steady in Clonmel, he plans to return to Araluen."

Crowley raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"

Halt nodded: "Alexis and I, we captured one of his foremen. His name is Farrell and he is in the dungeons in Redmont right now. His assignment was to establish a front line in Araluen.  
Selsey was the victim and he would've succeeded if it hadn't been for us.  
'That's where I've been last week. Where I got shot." He added.

Will sat up: "About that, who shot you?"

Halt scraped his throat and Alexis found a very interesting spot in the ceiling.

"My apprentice did."

"Really?" Will looked towards Alexis, "How?"

"Halt was held hostage by an Outsider and I shot the man but accidentally hit Halt too," Alexis explained. "but can we please continue the previous topic?"

Halt nodded: "So I want to kill the snake before it bites. I want to stop Tennyson before he actually enters Araluen."

Crowley bit his lip: "And you really think you can solve that, together with Will?" he asked.

Halt nodded again: "With Horace, yes. Plus, I'm not leaving the girl behind."

"With Horace and Alexis… and you are sure you don't need any soldiers?"

Halt shook his head wildly: "Oh, god no! Remember that King Ferris didn't actually ask for our help. I think we should fight Tennyson's sneaking around and superstition with more sneaking around and superstition. There is an old myth in Hibernia about a master-swordfighter coming from the East to save the land. We could use that."

Will chuckled: "Yes, Horace is perfect for that role."

His old mentor smiled at him: "Indeed, Will, and I figured that that's the perfect way to contact Ferris. We can persuade him to do something about the situation and that way we can slowly break the power of the Outsiders. Chase them back to the dark hole they came from."

"And that way they won't come into Araluen." Will said.

"Indeed," said Halt, "A cult like the Outsiders' can't stagnate, it either has to grow, or someone has to kick their base of thrust away so they won't be believable anymore."

"But why do you think King Ferris will listen to you? Have you ever met the man?" Crowley asked Halt.

"Surely I know him," Halt replied. "He's my brother."


	9. About Lutes and Dresses

**Haha I know guys, what a giant cliffhanger. bet ya'll didn't see it coming ;) (yes we did, but we didn't in the original book XD) So this is a bit of a filler but I was planning to add the visit to Craikennis but it would get too long and I really wanted to upload. Anyway, personally I do like the end, hope you enjoy it as well!  
Please review!**

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Chapter 9 - About Lutes and Dresses

"I can't believe King Ferris is your brother, Halt, I can't believe it."

It wasn't the first time Horace said that, but Alexis nodded again anyway. Her mind had been occupied by the same surprise, the same puzzled feeling. Will rolled his eyes, he wasn't that impressed of riding next to a member of Hibernia's Royal house.

"Yes. I got the message." Halt sounded annoyed, a warning that both Will and Alexis immediately heard and recognized. But Horace, well Horace seemed to miss it completely.

"You have to admit it had to be a big surprise for us, Halt. From everyone in the world, you'd be the last person I'd suspect to be a… well, Royal? Yes, that's it. Royal." Horace looked quite pleased with his explanation.

Halt looked towards Horace, angry. Alexis held back Wolfie, a bit afraid of Halts reaction.

"Is it?" Halt asked, "So I don't act royal, do I? Am I a bit too common for you?"

Will turned his head to hide his smile and Alexis was staring at the young knight and her mentor with her mouth wide open.

Horace could tell he offended Halt in some way, but he didn't know how or with what. So obviously, he tried to save himself: "It's just, I think you… you don't really have a…" He hesitated.

"A royal haircut." Will saved him. Alexis bit her lip not to chuckle.

Halts angry look pointed at Will: "My, haircut."

It wasn't a question. More a, determination.

Will nodded wildly: "Yes, your haircut. Most royal people have, let's say, a certain style. One that is neat and accepted, you know, for public appearances and such."

Halt raised an eyebrow: "So you don't like my hair?"

Alexis joined in: "Don't listen to them Halt, I love your hair."

"O yes!" Will agreed, "I think your hair is truly sublime! The only problem is that it might be a bit casual, you know, for the Kings brother. It's not, how shall I say…"

He turned around in his saddle, studying Halts wild hair, pretending not to see the angry look on Halt's face, he thought up a word that fit what he was trying to explain: "refined."  
Will nodded, that was the word he was looking for.

Horace, who had followed the discussion (happy that he wasn't involved) couldn't hold himself back anymore: "Yes Halt! That's it! Your haircut isn't refined enough, Kings and Queens should be refined!"

Alexis was still listening, mouth wide open with shock, when Halt turned to her: "Do you think I'm not refined enough?"

Alexis swallowed: "I am not going to grant that question with an answer."

Halt shrugged: "Oké, so I'm not refined enough. But what about King Duncan? Is he that _refined_?"  
Halt kept using the word 'refined' on purpose and he said it like he was cursing someone.

Horace nodded: "O yes! King Duncan can be very refined! When he goes to parties and such, I mean, look at all his flowery jackets! Don't you think so, guys?"

Will said: "Yes, exactly! Very!" and Alexis just kept her mouth shut.

Halt was quiet for a while but then said: "Horace, do you remember a period of time we spent in the _refined_ company of Lord Deparnieux?"

Horace swallowed, of course he did, of course he remembered the heartless warlord.  
"Yes, of course I remember."

"Remember how we challenged him? Didn't I tell him I was a member of the Hibernian Royal house?"

Horace started to panic: "Yes, I do remember."

"Well, did you think I was lying about it? Do you?"

Horace fell quiet. For about half a minute, it was just the hooves of the horses clattering on the road.

"Is that a motley hawk?" asked Will, trying to push the conversation in another direction.

"No, it's not," said Halt, without even looking, "and if it is one I don't really care. So?" He asked Horace again, "Did you think I was lying or not?"

Horace scraped his throat and said: "Yes, I did."

Without warning, Halt brought Abelard to a full stop. Alexis, who was riding behind him didn't see it coming and Wolfie bumped against the bigger, dark brown horse before being able to stop himself. The two boys stopped their horses too and turned, so that they had to face Halt.  
Halt looked towards Horace, with a look on his face that said: 'you have hurt my feelings'.

"So you thought I was lying?" Halt said dramatically, "That hurts, Horace, that hurts dear boy. Please tell me, my sickly sweet little knight, have you ever caught me telling a lie?"

It was quiet for a while again and Halts dramatic you-hurt-my-feelings face was slowly changing into a big grin.

"Remember those girls?" Horace asked all of a sudden.

"Girls? What girls?" Halt raised an eyebrow.

"Those girls in the harbour, when we arrived in Gallica. They had very short skirts."

Halt nodded slowly: "I do recall, yes,"

"Well, you told me those skirts were that short so they could run very fast."

Both Will and Alexis almost fell off their horses with laughter: "You did?" uttered Will.

"You believed that?" cried Alexis.

"I might have," Said Halt.

"And I did believe him!" Horace was playing the victim now instead of Halt.

"O god no Horace!" cried Will, "You really believed him?"

Horace nodded: "Yes, because Halt is a Ranger and Rangers never lie. Rangers always tell the truth, isn't it, Halt?"

Alexis chuckled.

"It was for your own good." Halt said grumpy, and he spurred Abelard into a trot.

As soon as Halt was out of hearing range, Horace grinned: "See, there I had the old fox! This time I won!" and he spurred Kicker away, following Halt.

That left Will and Alexis, who were staring at each other with their mouth wide open: "I thought Horace was so naïve." Will said.

"I don't think anyone has been able to get to Halt like that." Alexis mumbled.

Within five days, the five travellers had arrived in Clonmel. Passing Selsey again, it took Halt quite some persuasion to convince the mayor of the city to lend them a boat to the island.

But, well, it _was_ Halt that was talking, so Alexis didn't really worry about their ride.

They were riding down a road to the west, Halt decided it would be best to ride for Craikennis, to seek a bed for the night, but the road was long and the farms at the side of the roads empty and abandoned. The farms that weren't, abandoned, were closed off, almost literally sealed. Every time they rode past a farm like that, someone would come out holding a weapon, a sword, a spear, sometimes just a pitchfork or a broom.

Halt ignored the small towns and farms they passed, but in the early morning of the second day, following the river (that had no name, according to Halt), they came upon a small town.

The entrance was build shut with wooden boards, tables, and other big pieces of furniture to close the holes with.

"Jeez, they aren't really fond of visitors in Clonmel, are they Halt?" Horace softly pulled Kickers reins and forced the big steed to stop.

They saw one man with a large, iron helmet and a big spear.

"That's not looking very friendly," Alexis noted.

Will chuckled: "Maybe he'll roast a pig for us on there."

Horace moaned: "I could eat two pigs."

"Yes, yes you could," Halt and Alexis said simultaneously.

"Hey! You there!" the man with the big spear shouted, "You are not welcome here! Leave this town or prepare to defend yourselves!"

Instead of pointing out that the spearman was alone and Halt accompanied by two skilled archers, a knight and himself he hung his long bow around his pommel and spread his arms, sitting relaxed in his saddle: "A, but friend! We mean you no harm!" he said, working up his Hibernian accent.

"But we do, if you dare to come any closer!" the man said violently.

Alexis studied the barricade. Several pitchforks, swords and spears wove above the wooden boards. There was something odd about the numbers and timing.

"I think that they try to make us believe that they are with bigger numbers then they actually are," whispered Will.

Halt nodded: "And I bet that more than half of them are women and children. That's why he doesn't want us to come closer."  
He raised his voice: "Listen my dear friend! We are prepared to pay for a meal and a pint of beer and then leave without any fuss!"

"We don't want your money and you're certainly not getting any of our food! Get lost!" the man sounded desperate, scared.

Halt shrugged, if it was him up there, he wouldn't let three men, armed to the teeth, into his little village, even if they promised him gold and riches: "Fine, but do you know any inns near here? We've been on the road for a while and like to get a good night sleep!"

Silence, but then an answer: "There is one, in Craikennis, about one and a half kilometre to the west. Just, follow the road and leave, please."

Halt nodded and turned Abelard around: "Let's go guys."

About half an hour later, when they saw the faint lights of Craikennis in the distance, Halt stopped again.  
"Will, have you brought your lute?"

Will sighed: "Yes."

"Well, four armed men, with all due respect Alexis, but you are as dangerous as the rest of us," Halt said with a nod towards Alexis, "are not welcome in Craikennis, so I thought that Will could go alone, as a bard and we could follow as travellers."

Will nodded: "You want me to get a room for us?" but Halt shook his head: "No, that would blow our cover."

"Oké, well, any requests?" he asked, smiling broadly.

"Anything but Greybeard Halt." Halt growled.

"What is Greybeard Halt?" asked Alexis.

Will took a deep breath, but Halt cut him off: "If you dare, I promise, that night in the tree will seem like a dream to you."

Will shrugged: "I'll see you guys in a minute!" he said cheery, spurring Tug into a trot.

Halt led the two youngsters into the woods, leading them to a small clearing. A very small clearing.

"How did you know this would be here?" Horace asked surprised.

"Do you want an honest answer?" Asked Halt, "Plain luck. Alexis?" he asked.

"Yes Halt?"

"Do you have any… female clothes with you?"

Alexis smiled: "I do, actually. A dress. But I don't have a pillion with me."

"But can you ride with a dress?"

"Easily. Just… erm… give me a minute of privacy please." Alexis blushed as she ducked into her saddlebag and then into the bushes.  
She brought a dress that was appropriate on parties, but could be used as a regular dress. Emerald green, plain, but there was one thing Alexis didn't take into account.

It wouldn't fit her if she didn't put on her corset.

"Guys?" she called.

"Is there a problem?" Halt. Serious as ever.

"Erm, I need help to put on this dress."

"Why?" Horace called. Alexis could hear he had to hold back his laughter.

"It's a corset."

"O, I helped Pauline with one before, I can do that. Do you want me to help you?" Halt had problems seeing the awkwardness in the situation.

But Alexis didn't have a choice. It was either Halt or Horace and Halt seemed to have some experience.

A bit pissed, Alexis fit the corset on her chest, held it tight and sighed: "Fine, Halt, could you help me please?"

This time, Halt did chuckle. Alexis could hear him get off Abelard and approach her. She turned towards a tree and took a deep breath. She felt Halt grab the laces: "Ready?"

"Ready." She said, holding her breath.

Halt pulled the laces tight, very tight, and tied them together.

Alexis groaned: "God, I really hate corsets."

Halt turned away again to give Alexis space to put on the rest of the dress and when she was done she came out of the bushes, only to find out that Halt and Horace had already made camp.

Wolfie's saddlebags were gone and Kickers too. The only horse carrying luggage was Abelard.

"Horace is going in, fully armed. He is our protector. I'm taking my bow and arrows and Alexis, you only take your knives."

Alexis nodded. She wouldn't be able to shoot in this dress anyway.

"I am a farmer from the south, trying to reach the market in Mountshannon to buy some sheep. I hired Horace to protect me on the way there and my sheep on the way back home."

"And why am I wearing this ridiculous outfit?" Alexis asked.

"You're my good-for-nothing-just-sitting-and-being-pretty-dau ghter," Halt said, "No offense, but if you pretend to be stupid and we get in trouble, you're the one they'll expect nothing from. Now, mount your horses and lets go."

Halt mounted Abelard and rode back to the road, Alexis and Horace close, following him to Craikennis.


	10. Splitting up

**So, sorry for the slower updates but I have vacation. sounds weird, but I work alot then and when school starts again I'll have more time to write. Anyway- enjoy this chapter and be careful, it contains pie. I now this one can be a bit boring because I have to to this to prevent plotholes but the next few are going to be different from the book and I can let my imagination flow free again!  
Please review!**

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Chapter 10- Splitting up.

_Sunshine Lady,  
color of sunshine in your hair.  
Happiness is the gown you wear.  
I would follow you anywhere,_

_my Sunshine Lady.  
Spread a little light around, sunshine lady.  
Isn't it true?  
I love you, la da da daa.  
Spread a little light around,_

_Sunshine lady.  
You are the one who lights up the sun-_

People were laughing and clapping and stamping their feet, signing the last chorus of the song.

"Will is really catchy, isn't he?" Alexis smiled, tapping the melody on th table with her hand.

Halt growled: "I'm just glad he didn't do the Greybeard Halt one."

"We all know what would happen if he sang the Greybeard one." Horace laughed, but then his attention was led to something else. A tall, slender girl with black hair, and _enourmous_…

"Pie!" he squealed.

Alexis' face also brightened at the sight of their delicious dessert. The two youngsters attacked the warm apple pie while Halt simply enjoyed his black coffee with an excessive amount of honey.

"Horrible, what's happened 'ey?" A big, fat man, working at the local mill, judging by the stains on his apron. "Four men dead, as I've heard!"

The bald man sitting next to him nodded: "The brother of my wife was there three days ago! If he'd been there yesterday he could be dead too!"

Alexis took a breath to interfere in the conversation, but one look from Halt made her swallow her words.

"And what about those new priests in Mountshannon?" one of the others asked. He was a couple of years younger than the bald man.

"I don't believe anything those lunatics say!" the old mill worker said. The bald man agreed: "Nonsense! We were fine without them, now they showed up with their fake gods. Bandits and Dead, that's the only thing they brought!"

"Indeed! We are lucky nothing has happened in Mountshannon yet! People have died in Dufford!" the younger boy agreed.

"Yes," said the fat mill man, "But they have nothing to fear in Craikennis! More than a hundred people live there! Dufford is small, it has ten or maybe twelve houses or so…"

"Ten or twelve?" the young man said.

"What?"

"Are there ten or twelve house in Dufford?"

"Well, I don't know! I was estimating!"

Halt and Alexis made eye contact and she chuckled.

_Where is this going? _

But then Will decided the break was over and he started another song.

"Isn't that?" asked Horace.

"It better not be Greybeard Halt," Halt muttered.

_But it wasn't. Sadly enough. _

_Old Joe Smoke's a friend of mine.  
He lives on Bleaker's hill,  
Old Joe smoke never took a bath,  
and they say he never will!_

Alexis chuckled.

"I think it's time for us to leave," Halt muttered, throwing a few coins on the table. They waited until Will started singing the chorus and left in silence.

Outside, when they had mounted their horses and left the small village, Horace sighed.

"What's up?"

"I just really want to hear Greybeard Halt again! I loved that song!"

Halt growled, a sign that let Alexis know to back off, but once again, Horace didn't really pick it up.

_Greybeard Halt is a friend of mine  
He lives on Redmont's hill,  
Greybeard halt never took a bath  
And they say he never will!_

_Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt  
Fare thee well, I say  
Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt  
I'll see you on your way!_

Horace spurred Kicker into a quick gallop to prevent from getting slapped by a bow or anything similar to that.

Halt looked towards Alexis, who had never heard the famous song before and was holding her breath not to laugh.

"Do you find this funny?"

Alexis nodded: "Honestly? Hilarious. I'm so sorry Halt, I mean, not that you need a bath or anything, but, it's just. Well, with Will's imagination, he could be a bard."

"But I trained him to be a Ranger."

"And you did a terrific job. Now can we please hurry up so I can get this horrible dress off?" She smartly changed topic.

Halt nodded: "I can imagine."

"No you can't. You can't imagine torture like this."

Halt rolled his eyes: "Do you always want to have the last word?"

"Yes Sir."

The next morning, when Horace and Alexis where huddled up near the fire and Halt was still sleeping in the small tent, they heard a familiar sound.

Well, Wolfie and Abelard heard it, actually. Abelard let out a soft neigh, indicating another Rangers' horse was nearing and Wolfie neighed agreeing.

A few minutes later, Will and Tug appeared: "How was your night, cozy on the soft ground?"

Alexis grumbled: "Horace snores."

Will sat down next to them with a 'told you so' look on his face.

"Where's Halt?"

"Still asleep." Horace answered.

"No, he's not." They heard Halt getting up from inside the small tent. "How could I still be asleep when Will comes barging in like a tinker, telling everyone where exactly our camp is!"

"I checked the area, if there is anyone but us in half a mile radius I'll eat my shoes."

Halt snorted, climbing out of the little tent: "Where did I hear that before?"

"I don't know," Will answered, smiling bright. "Anyway, they had a great breakfast buffet, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs! Exactly what a man needs on a cold morning like this."

Horace moaned. Well, not sure if it was Horace moaning or his stomach, but it didn't really matter. The point is that their breakfast had consisted of old bread, toasted above the fire and flavored with some salted beef. Horace would've liked bacon. So would Alexis.

Will sat down unfolding a package he had carefully stowed in his saddlebags: "Luckily the cook was so friendly to give me something for the journey," he smiled.

Horace almost literally attacked. He tore a piece of bread of the loaf, stuffed it with sausages and eggs and topped it off with two strips of bacon.

"I love bacon!" he mumbled with his mouth full.

Halt poured himself a cup of fresh coffee and filled his plate with eggs and bacon too: "Did anything happen in the inn when we were away?"

"A lot of people were talking about a little town named Dufford?"

"Yes, we heard about that. Anything about Mountshannon?" Halt took a bite of his bread.

"Yea, a lot. It seems like the Outsiders have their Headquarters there. Mountshannon seems like a place we should check out." Will answered.

Halt growled. He had a mouth full of bacon.

"They talked about little else after I stopped signing. Most of the regulars accept you like you've been there for years. Hence all the information." Will smiled.

Halt nodded: "Good. Anything else?"

Will swallowed. His face darkened: "About your brother…" he took a deep breath. "People don't think he is a very good King. There's not much respect for him and well… people don't really expect him to find a solution for the problems here. The Outsiders use that as their main argument to find followers and the people who have not been convinced yet are doubting what is right and what is wrong." He was silent for a couple of seconds and then added: "That's really what they think about him Halt. Sorry."

Halt shrugged: "Well, I sort of expected it. Ferris has always been so busy playing King, that he forgot to _be_ one." Alexis heard some bitterness in his voice.

Horace emptied the package, to be sure there was nothing left and sat up, legs crossed: "Halt. I think it's time we learn more about your brother."

Alexis was shocked. How could he boldly ask a thing like that? She wanted to ask him why he dared to ask, when, to Alexis' complete and utter surprise, Halt nodded.

"Indeed. You are right. I mean, I'm the one who taught you to get as much information as needed," He grinned grim.

"Ferris and I are brother. And not just brothers, twins!" he turned to Alexis, "Maybe that's why the leader of the Outsiders in Selsey thought he knew me."

"Twins?" Will asked surprised.

"Monozygotic!" Halt added, "We differ seven minutes!"

"So, seven minutes? And you were youngest?" Horace shook his head, "Unimaginable, otherwise you would have been King and Ferris the…"

Alexis watched the tensed situation. Even she understood Ferris could never have been the strong, sturdy Ranger Halt is.

"Indeed Horace," Halt said softly. "What would Ferris have become? But you weren't exactly right in the first place, because I am the eldest."

Alexis raised her eyebrows, but it was Will who asked the question: "But why didn't you… why aren't you King then? I mean, shouldn't the eldest be the King?"

"Indeed, the eldest should be King, but Ferris has always been… agitated by what those seven minutes meant. He thought I had robbed him of his rights to be King."

Horace rolled his eyes: "That's mental! I mean, you are firstborn, period."

Halt smiled again, that grim, bitter smile that was so sad that it made Alexis feel bad too: "Well, I wish it was that easy. But somehow Ferris convinced himself that I pushed in front or something like that. I don't know how he figured it out for himself, but it was reason enough to kill me."

"O my god," Alexis exclaimed, "He tried to kill you?"

"His own brother?" Wills voice raised an octave.

"His elder brother." Halt said. He stared into the campfire and his whole attitude changed. He wasn't strong and impenetrable anymore, he was old and hurt. His mask fell and beneath they could see what really bothered him: "I don't want to talk about it."

Will, Horace and Alexis immediately reacted: "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Yea, it's not right of us to dig this all up again." Horace protested.

"Please don't feel bad," Alexis said.

Halt smiled: "Well, I've walked away from this for far too long now. Time to face the past."

He saw how uncomfortable the youngsters felt at this and trying to soothe them he said: "You have to hear this, maybe it'll come in handy one day. I'll promise to be brief.

'Ferris always thought he was the one for the throne. He should be King. Where he got the idea? Not a clue. Maybe because he was mommy's little boy. I mean, he got the extra attention, because he would never be King and well, Ferris was a cute little boy and I… I've always been myself.

Before our sixteenth birthday, he tried to poison me. But he mixed up the amounts and I just got really sick."

"What did your parents do about it?" Horace asked with his eyes wide open.

"Nothing, we thought I had eaten a bad shrimp or something like that. I didn't found out until much later.

'The second attempt was about half a year later, I was walking in the courtyard when, all of a sudden, a large amount of slates hits the ground right behind me. The shards created ugly slashed in both my legs but luckily they hadn't fallen on my head. I looked up and saw Ferris, trying to flee the scene, but I saw him. And do you know what the worst thing was? It was the expression on his face. He didn't look relieved. You would expect that from someone whose brother had just escaped death, would you? But no, he was angry, so angry it scared me.

'I had nothing to prove that Ferris was trying to kill me so I didn't tell anything to my parents. This all happened in a period where they were having horrible fights every day and Ferris was the only thing they could share together. I didn't want to take that away from them. The only one who really believed me was my sister, she knew what was going on fairly quick."

Alexis and Horace shared a moment of shock, _a sister?_ While Will was staring at the ground, trying to progress and save all the information.

"So you have a sister too?" Horace asked.

"Yes, my best friend back in Clonmel. Heard she died a couple of years ago leaving a son." Halt was silent for a second, but then continued.

"The last attempt was when my father was dying, Ferris knew it was now or never. We went fishing together, for salmon, when at a certain point my line got stuck under water. I tried to untangle it, but all of a sudden I feel a hard push in my back and when I swam up and back to the boat, I thought Ferris was handing me the oar to pull myself aboard again. Well, I thought that until he started slapping me on the head with it."

He probably didn't notice it himself, but Halt started rubbing his right shoulder again. The three companions were quiet, had no words for this horrible story.

"He kept hitting me so I dove really deep and swam to the other shore. Pulled myself up with my last strength. And then Ferris came, yelling it was an accident, and how he lost control of the oar.

'That moment I realised he wasn't going to stop until he succeeded, leaving me with two options: leaving the country, or kill him. I assumed being a King was more important to him than to me, anyway, more important than the life of his twin. I explained him that, and then I left."

Halt smiled cheerful to the three shocked faces around him: "And look where it got me! I've never felt sorry." He got up, probably wanted to get this topic away as soon as possible: "We should go on. Will, I think you should go check out the situation in Dufford. Take the girl with you, see if she can learn you anything."

Will smiled. Halt was still the same person, after all.

Alexis felt less secure about leaving her mentor: "But… shouldn't I stay with you, with you being the teacher and all?"

Halt shook his head: "I think it is good for you to experience a bit of other Rangers' work too. You can learn a lot from Will."

Wills head almost cracked open at that compliment. He whistled Tug to saddle him and Alexis called Wolfie, grabbing her stuff.

"And when we've been in Dufford? Meet back here?" Will asked.

Halt shook his head: "Come to Mountshannon, Horace and I are going to pay a little visit to Tennyson."

Will mounted Tug: "Oké, anything I should think about?" he asked his former Mentor.

The old man nodded, rubbing his left arm: "Don't let the girl shoot in a hostage situation."


	11. Battleplans

**So... another sleepless night well spent. I know the gaps between uploadingare getting bigger, but with the Battle for Craikennis uphand the story will get more exiting! please hang on and review!**

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Chapter 11- Battleplans.

The two had been riding for about half a day when Will announced lunchtime.

Alexis stopped Wolfie at a clear spot near the road and dismounted. She loosened the saddle and took off Wolfie's bridle.

Will did the same and searched his saddlebags for food: "Did you pack some bread?" he asked.

Alexis raised an eyebrow: "Yes? You didn't?"

Will shook his head: "No, I think that I left it when I was packing this morning, it must be at the camp." He sighed, "Horace and Halt will be laughing so hard."

"I think if you really left it at the camp Horace would have eaten it," Alexis threw Will a jute sack.

"How?"

"You left it at the camp so I packed it, but then I forgot about it." Alexis chuckled and they sat down, eating their lunch.

"So no leftovers from breakfast, huh?" Will asked with his mouth full.

"It was that or your lunch. We have Horace with us." Alexis replied.

It was silent for a couple of minutes when Will asked: "How was it like when you shot Halt?"

Alexis washed down the plums with some water from the river and replied: "I am really going to hear this forever, am I?"

Will nodded: "Yes, and we'll probably bring this up at your graduation too."

"Good, I'll forever be 'the Ranger girl who shot her mentor'." Alexis sighed.

"No, you'll forever be 'the Ranger girl who shot Halt and survived', other Rangers will worship you and want to see your war-wounds."

Alexis laughed: "It was scary as hell. I was surrounded by thugs and I thought I had killed my only chance of getting out of there. I ran out there like an idiot and shouted his name. kneeling down, I saw it was just a slash."

Will grinned: "And?"

"Halt looked up to me and said: 'Pretend you shot me!'" Alexis said, chuckling.

Will laughed: "And what did you say?"

"I said: 'But I did shoot you!'"

"No!" Will gasped for air.

Alexis nodded and took a deep breath: "I felt so stupid."

Will got up: "Really? This is crazy. I mean you _shot_ Halt!"

They laughed and got back on their horses.

The merry atmosphere from that afternoon had completely disappeared when Will and Alexis arrived in Dufford.

"O my god," Alexis said, she felt tears welling up in her eyes and her vision blurred. She turned her head so Will wouldn't see her tear up. But the houses in the ashes, the scent of dead, the charred bodies, it was too much for her. Will saw it.

"Alexis, how about you cross the river and go look for traces, ey? I'll check the village." He said, pretending not to notice the emotions. "And Alex?"

"Yes?"

"Those carcasses are animals."

"O, oké." Alexis spurred and steered her little, sturdy horse towards the river.

_What a horrible Ranger am I,_ Alexis shook her head, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. _Jesus, I start to cry at every single thing that happens to be in front of me._

Wolfie neighed: _It makes you a good Ranger._

Sometimes Alexis wondered Wolfie was really communicating with her or she was just hearing him say the things she wanted him to say. Actually, she was just wondering if Halt and Will also talked to their horses.

"Probably-" She said out loud. Alexis dismounted Wolfie and searched the ground. There were multiple trails, all leading into the woods. "Probably a large group of horsemen, heavily armed." She muttered, "They travelled south, about two days ago."

"No, one and a half days." Will said.

Alexis shot up: "How do you see that?" she asked, but since Will had been a student of Halt too, se already knew the answer.

"Practise, practise, practise." He laughed. "Come on, let's get moving. Maybe we'll catch up at nightfall."

Alexis mounted Wolfie and followed Will into the forest. It was silent for a while.

"We're switching."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're going in front." He held back Tug. "Come on!"

"But what if I get lost?" she asked scared.

"You won't, I trust you're smart enough and when you make a mistake I'll be here to correct you. You're not alone." Will ensured her. Alexis nodded, she spurred Wolfie into a faster trot and took the lead.

She followed the trail the rest of the day. After about two hours they found a camp and when it got darker, they found the camp where the bandit army would spent the night.

"What are we going to do?" Alexis asked Will.

"Something very boring, I'm going in there and you'll have to wait out here for me."

Alexis sighed disappointed. That meant two, possibly three hours of being alert and standing on guard: "Can't I help you in any way?"

Will shook his head: "I'm sorry Alexis, I mean, you know I appreciate your help, but going in with two can give us away."

"Then why can't I go in."

"I understand that you want to help, but you need to understand that you are an apprentice and I am a full time Ranger, I am responsible for whatever happens to you and therefore I will go in and you will wait with the horses."

Alexis nodded, understanding that she had been too confident. A bit arrogant.

"I'm sorry Will." She apologized. She dismounted Wolfie and wanted to take his saddle of but Will stopped her, getting off Tug. "We might need to flee any moment, leave the saddles and bridles on."

Alexis nodded.

"We wait until it's dark. You wait here with the horses," Will was silent for a moment. "Listen, if anything happens and you need to ride Tug, you need the password." He bowed forward and whispered into her ear: "It's _do you mind?_"

Alexis nodded.

Then he disappeared.

Will returned four hours later. Approximately.

Alexis had tied the horses' reins to their pommels, long enough so they could graze but not so long that if they had to flee, they'd trip in it and break their legs. Then she pointed them a spot to graze and rest and choose another, more secluded spot to keep watch.

Will returned, whistling.

Alexis froze, tried to stay hidden for the older Ranger as long as possible. His gaze scanned the clearing, then the trees and the spot where she was sitting. His view went past it, his face turned from playful to concerned and he went back into the forest again.

Alexis smiled, he didn't see her.

_Right?_

Maybe he did see her, and now he's leaving. Or he didn't see her and goes looking for her. It was a stupid, childish joke and Alexis was worried and feeling stupid.

"Boo."

Alexis let out a little shriek, jumped up and pulled her Saxe.

"Trying to hide from me, did you?" Will laughed, "Well, you almost had me, but I saw you."

Alexis smiled, sheathing her knife. "So, how did it go?"

Will smiled, throwing his hood off and shaking his brown curls: "I picked up a few interesting things,"

Alexis opened her mouth to ask him what, but Will raised his hand to stop her: "I overheard plans for a 'show' tomorrow in Mountshannon and Craikennis. They're sending men to both places but here is the weird part; the Outsiders send thirty men to Mountshannon, the bigger place, and fifty to Craikennis, the smaller one."

"So?" Alexis asked, handing him some dried beef.

"I think that there will be a fake attack in Mountshannon tomorrow and a real one in Craikennis the day after."

"And what are we going to do about it?" Alexis asked.

"We are going to Mountshannon to meet Halt and Horace, I doubt we'll be there in time for the attack but we'll tell them about Dufford and together we ride to Mountshannon to see how we can aid there."

Alexis nodded, swallowing the leathery beef: "But first we get some sleep?"

Will smiled, he was tired too: "First we get some sleep."

The two Rangers saddles off their horses and rolled themselves up in their cloaks for a few hours of well-earned rest.

They were nearing Mountshannon when Will first heard the cheering.

"As I said, we are too late," he pointed out, "But it looks like we're in time for the party."

Alexis sighed: "All I want right now is coffee."

Will moaned agreeing: "Did you have to bring that up?"

They slowed down their horses as they rode onto the market. The big field was filled with stalls and tents and in the crowd the two friends looked for a familiar face.

In the middle of the field, surrounded by people kissing his robe, was a big, chubby, grey haired man. Not pepper-and-salt grey, like Halt, but whitish grey, his grey was the same colour all over his haircut.

"There!" shouted Will, and he spurred Tug to a small man raising his hand. Halt.

He greeted them: "So, we just got saved. Anything exiting happening in your life?"

Will and Alexis got off their horses and saddled them down, rubbed them dry with grass and fed them an apple (or two).

They sat down at the campfire and Horace was already pouring them two hot cups of coffee.

"Thanks the heavens Horace," Alexis sighed, taking a big sip, "That was exactly what I needed on this cold morning."

"So, you got saved? By the big, grey haired man, I suppose?" Will asked.

Halt nodded: "O, yes indeed! He saved the day!"

Will raised an eyebrow at Halt sarcasm. Alexis just asked: "Saved the day? How?"

"About an hour ago a number of thugs tried to rob and burn down Mountshannon," Halt explained, "All of a sudden, there is a large group of men, armed to the teeth, threatening to kill anyone that would try to stop them. But Tennyson stepped right up to them and told them to get a life. And then they left."

Will raised an eyebrow: "Just like that?"

"No," said Horace, "Tennyson and his friends first sang a few songs for them."

"Indeed," nodded Halt, "They had to sing a few songs before they ran off screaming, hands against their ears."

"Was it that out of tune?" Alexis laughed.

"No, they sang very good actually." Halt shook his head. "Well, according to Horace they did. But it was Tennysons personality and the power of the god Alseias that drove those thugs away. Together they forced eighty men to turn around."

"Thirty, actually," Will said, "And they were led by a man named Driscoll."

Halt raised an eyebrow: "What idiot would attack a town like this with only thirty people?" he asked.

"It was just a show." Will said, "They aren't going to attack anything, or at least not here. Tomorrow, in Craikennis, they will attack. With eighty real warriors this time. And according to what their commander said, there will be no mercy."

"How do you know all off this?" Horace asked.

"I might have overheard a few details while I was taking a stroll through their camp last night." Will smiled, but his expression changed while telling them about Dufford: "And they're going to do the same thing in Craikennis tomorrow. We need to find a way to stop him."

Halt nodded: "Most intriguing. If Tennyson is by you side, you are safe, but if he isn't. Well, look what happened to Craikennis. Disgusting. Offering so much innocent human lives for riches."

Horace also felt anger and disgust raising within: "We need to help Halt! What are we going to do."

Halt got up: "Saddle your horses, leave the tent here, just take the things you need, I don't want Tennyson knowing that we're not coming back. We are riding to Craikennis to warn and aid them in the defence of their city."


	12. The Sunrise Warrior

**I know, it's been long. I know it's a bad excuse but we're writing a play and that has a deadline... -.- Sorry for the mistakes from last time, It was 3 AM and I thought I was at the top of my game but I wasn't ;) Anyway, here is chapter 12, please review and enjoy!**

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Chapter 12– The Sunrise Warrior

The four companions rode south west together. They travelled two kilometres in that direction and then turned east towards the river. They rode in a fast trot and didn't stop for lunch nor dinner. Halt insisted to keep on going and for the Rangers' horses that wasn't a problem, but Kicker was a steed, his long, slender legs were developed for a sprint, not for long travel at high pace. Alexis saw the horse stumble a few times.

"Halt, we need to rest. Half an hour, eat something, give the horses a break. The attack is going to happen tomorrow, half an hour can hardly matter." Horace sighed.

Will nodded: "Halt, these poor horses have been trotting for the past four hours. We need to rest."

Alexis just moaned. She was tired. She wanted to lay her head down and sleep. Preferably in her warm bed in Halt's cabin. Practise archery in the clearing. Visiting her parents in the weekend.

_O god, Alexis, what's up with all the sentiment all of a sudden? _She snorted.

The sun set about an hour ago. It was a dark night and there was no moon to be seen.

Halt stopped Abelard literally on the side of the road. He loosened Abelard's girth and took his bridle off for a moment so the horse could graze. Will, Horace and Alexis followed his lead.

They sat down for a moment, Halt handed them pieces of old, hard bread. Alexis sighed: "I could sleep."

Halt nodded: "Why don't you do so, I'll wake you up in half an hour."

Alexis yawned and rolled up in her cloak, drifting away in a dreamless sleep.

She woke up to shouts.

"Oi! No Kicker please!" She heard Horace yell.

She shot up: "What's going on?"

Halt was sitting opposite of her, smiling. He nodded to somewhere over her shoulder. Alexis turned around to see what was happening.

Kicker, poor old sweaty Kicker, wanted to relax a bit and decided to roll through the sand.

With his saddle on.

Alexis started laughing: "O, god, poor Horace."

They watched him for a couple more minutes, trying to get his big steed off the road and when he succeeded, trying to fix the leather saddle.

"Told him to tie his horse up." Will mumbled.

"Steeds." Halt sighed. "As stupid as their riders."

That was not true, of course, Horace was very clever.

For a knight.

Alexis mounted her horse and the four companions continued their ride to Craikennis in the dead of the night.

"It all looks so peacefully." Alexis noted.

"It is peacefully. Nobody knows about any attack." Halt answered. He stopped before the guards post. "Hello?" he called.

Two men, a long, slender one and a small fatter one, both armed with spears, came out: "Please turn around! You are not welcome here!"

Halt stepped into the light: "Good evening sirs!"

"What do you want?" The slender one growled.

"To speak to your commander." Halt said.

"Our… commander?" The fat guy said.

"He wants to talk to Conal, you idiot." The slender one snapped.

"Oh."

Halt nodded: "Could we please?"

"Well… Conal is asleep." The fat guy said.

Halt nodded, he understood: "Okay. We'll get off our horses."

He waved at the three youngsters behind them.

"And we'll take off our weapons." He said. Halt, Will and Alexis unstrung their bows and laid them at the side of the road. Horace clicked his sword off his belt and carefully placed it next to the bows.

"And we'll step into the light,"

Will, Alexis and Horace stepped into the light.

The slender guy studied Will: "Aren't you the bard from a few days ago?"

Will nodded: "I am."

"And the three of you, not here to buy sheep anymore?"

Halt smiled: "I know. I will be fair now." With a small gesture he pulled his silver oak leaf out from under his blouse, "I am a Ranger from the Kingdom of Araluen."

Will pulled out his oak leaf too: "So am I."

Alexis reacted a little late: "O yeah, me too," pulling out her bronze one, "But I'm an apprentice."

She could have sworn Halt muttered: "Obviously."

The slender man turned to the fat one: "Can you get Conal?"

The man nodded, he was happy that he didn't have to wait. Alone.

The silence that grew was awkward, but after about ten minutes the fat guy reappeared, accompanied by a tall, slightly sleep-struck man.

"Now, John, what the _hell_ is going on."

"These men Conal. They wanted to speak to you."

Halt nodded: "Indeed, we are here to…"

"Hold on," Conal interrupted him, "Who do you think you are?"

Halt sighed, he opened his mouth to answer, but Horace was faster: "Listen very carefully," he said, as he picked up his sword and mounted Kicker, "Tomorrow, eighty men will attack Craikennis. We've tried to tell you for the last twenty minutes, but apparently you won't listen to us."

Halt shrugged and he, Will and Alexis followed Horace's example. They took their weapons and mounted their horses.

"Wait!" Conal yelled, "Please, we're sorry."

The fellowship turned around and nodded.

"We understand," said Halt. "But please, we're not the enemy."

He briefed Conal.

'So, therefore, we thought that we could aid at the battle tomorrow."

Conal nodded, but then remarked: "So three men. How are you going to change the odds in our favour?"

Halt coughed: "Depends on the _four_ men." He nodded to Alexis, "Trust me, she counts as a man."

Conal nods: "And what exactly were you expecting?"

"I expect they'll attack around midday," Halt starts, but of course, as always, he doesn't get to finish his sentence,

"Don't they always attack in the morning?"

Halt shakes his head, slightly annoyed: "Listen, why would they attack at dawn, when your guards have just changed, fresh and alert."

"Fair play?" asked the fat guy.

Halt rolled his eyes: "These are thugs, remember. 'Fair play' is not in their dictionary."

Conal nodded: "Okay. Thank you for the advice. I promise that our guards will be present and paying attention all day. But when the attack starts, where will you be then?"

Halt pointed at the forest behind a small hill: "We'll be camping over there, so we can attack them from the side."

Conal nodded and took a step forward, offering Halt his hand: "Well, I think we should thank you."

Halt shook it: "Thank me tomorrow, if we're all still alive by then."

After a couple of hundred metres Horace spurred Kicker and rode up next to Halt, who was riding Abelard five metres in front of them.

"We left the tents and other equipment in Mountshannon."

Halt nodded: "I thought about that right after I said that we would go sleep in the forest."

Alexis spurred up Wolfie next to them: "Will and I both have our tents."

Horace nodded: "Yes, but still, we're with four. Four people in two small Ranger tents? That would be a little too cosy."

"Three," said Halt, "We need a guard."

"So, Horace with his long legs and fear of lying next to a girl in one tent, and we in the other," Will entered the conversation.

Alexis nodded, with a big smile on her face: "Problem solved then."

The next morning, when Alexis woke up, the tent (that she had been sharing with both Halt and Will) was empty. She put on her boots and crawled out of the tent.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, yawing.

"Because nothing happened yet." Horace answered. He poured her some coffee.

Alexis noticed he was wearing his armour. Also, Kicker, Abelard, Tug and Wolfie were already saddled up. She took a sip of her coffee.

"How are they doing in the Craikennis?" she asked.

"Nothing much," Will answered, "But Conal did put some extra guards out, so he did take us seriously."

Alexis nodded: "And what is our plan?"

"The three of us wait on the hill, behind those bushes there. We can fire arrows at the men." Halts answered.

"And what about Horace?" Will asked.

Halt got up: "Ah, for Horace I have got something special." He grabbed his saddlebag and pulled a white shield cover out. "Put this over your shield, we're going to fight fire with fire."

Horace obeyed. The white shield cover wasn't actually white. It had a black stripe on it and half an orange circle.

"You want me to be a fake again? Like in Gallica." Horace sighed.

"Yes," Halt said. "You're going to play the Sunrise Warrior."

"And what do I do then?" Horace asked sceptical.

"You're going to be big, silent and deadly. Kill those thugs!" Halt wanted to sit back down again, but he froze.

"They're here." Halt mounted Abelard and started giving instructions.

"We're going to hurry up that hill. Hide in the bushes. Shoot on my cue and Horace, attack on my cue." He turned towards Alexis. "Shoot straight. You don't want to hit Horace."

Alexis nodded, not knowing if he was joking or being serious.

They took position by the hill, Alexis nervous, clenching her bow. In the distance, she saw the small army, five rows thick and sixteen rows long. Eighty men.

Alexis swallowed nervous. She looked towards Horace, he looked calm. Sitting on his horse, holding his shield and broadsword. Kind of handsome actually. Like one of those Princes from the legends and Fairy Tales her mom told her as a kid.

Halt's voice ripped Alexis back to the present: "Horace, go, Will, five arrows on the right flank…"

"Your right or my right?" Will asked with a smile on his face.

"Quit horsing around, your right is my right." Halt answered annoyed.

"Just lighting up the spirits, Halt."

"Alexis, left flank. I'll do the back row." He looked towards Horace. "Go! Smash the front line!"

Alexis did the best she could and she was proud, five out of five arrows hit a man, and even though the last arrow hit the targets neighbour and not the target.

After firing five arrows, Alexis rose her head to watch Horace. He rode towards seven men, sword raised. After practically trampling two, his horse reared, hitting four others in the face with his hooves. The other one fled.

"He didn't even have to use his sword," Alexis muttered.

Halt nodded: "That is what makes him significant."

He turned serious again: "Let's cover Horace. Finish this."

They started taking out targets and, at Halts orders, wounding instead of killing. At first Alexis thought Halt was having a moment of sentiment, but she couldn't been more wrong. By taking someone's life, you take out one man. By wounding a person, you take out two.

Alexis tried to see this as an exercise, these men weren't real men, they were targets. Big moving hay bale with red dots in the middle.

Most of the tugs turned around at the sight of their friends falling by the hand of the Sunrise Warrior and the countless arrows. A big man, the leader probably, shouted: "Get the archers!"  
But nobody listened, everyone fled.

The big man turned his horse towards Horace, his face red with anger. Alexis raised her bow, but Halt shook his head: "Do you want to see a real knight in action? Pay close attention."

"Lay down your weapon!" She heard Horace shout, but the man didn't listen. He raised his sword, stopped his horse and started bashing his sword into Horace.

"We need to help him!" Alexis said, a little bit in panic.

Will laughed: "Look carefully."

Alexis narrowed her eyes, Horace had no problems blocking the blows. He blocked, the swords hung still for a moment, Horace said something Alexis couldn't hear and the man started hitting Horace again. He tensed.

"Ooh, he's had enough," muttered Will.

With four heavy blows, Horace disarmed the big man an hit him on the head. He fell.

Only now Alexis looked up to see that there was a battle going on at the barricades. Horace just have to turn Kicker around and gallop over there to scare them off, they fled.

The villagers of Craikennis cheered.


	13. The King on the Throne

**Hello ladies, IM BACK! School is a definite bitch but hey, it makes the writing more fun :3 Anyway, I GOT TO MEETING FERRIS! Next chapter for you guys though xD. enjoy and review!**

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Chapter 13 – The King on the Throne.

Alexis was sitting behind the hill, back turned to the battlefield. She didn't know how to feel. On one hand, she'd just killed a man. Multiple men. Shot them, stealing them from the rest of their lives. Maybe some of them had woman and children. Maybe they didn't want to fight for Tennyson.

On the other hand. These were thugs. Brutal men who had killed too and killing means death penalty. She had done right. Halt would never let her kill an innocent man.

She had been sitting there for quite a while when Will sat down next to her, wiping his bloody hands on a small piece of cloth.

"Everything all right?" He asked her.

Alexis shrugged, opened her mouth to ask a question, closed it again and then asked it: "Will?"

"Yes, Alexis?"

"What was it like when you killed your first man?"

Will sighed, settled into the grass en threw the cloth away: "My first kill was in battle too. Like you, but my battle was bigger. It was in Skandia, we were fighting against the Temujai, horse warriors from the East. Halt had given me the assignment to establish one hundred archers to fight for Skandia. My job in battle was to lead them and to take out the leaders of the Temujai army. I've never given them much thought though. They all thought we were puny and useless. It was the right thing to do. Not the best thing, but the right thing."

Alexis nodded: "Okay, I understand. Will you please not tell Halt about this conversation?"

Will laughed: "Why not?"

Alexis shrugged: "I don't want him to think I am worried about this."

"You don't want your mentor, the man who has been teaching you for the past year, to know that you are troubled because you killed a man? It is not a weakness to feel guilty after battle, Alexis. Now let's get back to camp, Halt and Horace are waiting for us."

Back at camp Horace had taken off his armour and Halt had made fire. And coffee.

"Ah, there she is!" Horace smiled, "Didn't want to clean up the corpses?"

Alexis smiled back at him and Will shot him a look, shaking no.

"Do you want coffee, girl?" Halt asked her. Alexis nodded. Troubled or not, coffee was always good.

"So, what now?" Horace asked.

"Well, I have told Conal and Terrence," Halt started.

"Who's Terrence?" asked Alexis. She sipped her coffee and burned her tongue.

"I told you it was hot. Terrence is the Mayor of this city. Anyway, I have told them to spread word of the Sunrise Warrior. By tomorrow the words will have reached Tennyson. Hopefully." Halt yawned. "Terrence offered us a night inside the walls before we continue, but…"

"You better say you said yes to that Halt. I am not spending another night in a tent with two different people." Will moaned.

"No I didn't."

Horace grunted: "Really Halt?"

"Listen boys, we aren't waiting until tomorrow to continue our search, we leave after lunch and we ride to Mountshannon. See what Tennyson's doing."

Alexis nodded and got up: "I'll pack our stuff. I haven't done anything this morning, I clean up here."

Horace got up too: "Same for me."

Halt smiled, drunk the rest of his coffee and got up too: "In that case, Will and I might as wel just take a walk."

They got up and left.

Alexis and Horace packed up their camps and saddled the horses in silence.

Well, silence…

"Oh, Annalie dancing.  
A shaft of light fell on her as I saw  
Annalie dancing  
and haven't I seen Annalie, somewhere before?" Horace softly hummed.

"Round and round she went,  
softly stepping circles in the sun!" Will had returned, finishing the song for him.

"O what a jolly lot we are. You should lay down your jobs as Knight and Ranger and earn your coin with singing and dancing."

They got on their horses and headed back towards Mountshannon. The ride back was easier, Halt wasn't as worked up anymore and they chatted for a bit. When they arrived at Mountshannon, the entire town was abandoned.

"Where is everyone?" asked Horace.

"In a hole in the ground," answered Alexis sceptically.

"I think Tennyson gathered his flock and headed towards Dun Kilty to confront the King." Halt said, ignoring Alexis' remark.

In the corner of the empty field stood two green-grey tents. Halt let out a relieved gasp: "Thank god. No offense Will, but your feet smell."

Alexis chuckled. Halt and Horace quickly packed their tents and their rode back into Mountshannon again.

"I hope the innkeeper decided to stay." Will mumbled.

Halt dismounted Abelard and knocked on the door. No answer.

"HELLO! INNKEEPER? ANYONE!" Horace shouted in his loudest voice.

"Horace!" Will shouted, rubbing his ear.

"Would you mind giving us a heads up next time?" Halt sighed.

The door of the house next to the inn opened. A small, old woman opened the door far enough so she could stick her head out: "They're gone," she stated the obvious. "All of them."

Halt smiled, so the old woman wouldn't see him as a threat: "To where?" he asked.

"Dun Kilty. To declare war on the King. Crown Tennysons god. At least, that's what they said."

"But not you." Halt remarked.

The old woman was silent for a moment: "Yes. I keep to my old gods. A god who promises you nothing but good is an evil god. A greedy god."

"And right you are." Halt smiled. "Do you have any idea where we can find a place to sleep?"

"The inn has a side door they never close." She mumbled as she closed the door.

"Thank…" Halt started, but the door had already closed.

The four dismounted and let their horses into the alleyway. Halt opened the door and handed Abelard's reins to Alexis: "You take care of the horses. Horace, get us some food, I'll try to build a fire. Will, go help Alexis."

He went into the house, Horace followed him and Alexis and Will walked around the inn, to the stables. Obviously, both Rangers took care of their own horses first.

"Halt is acting weird lately, don't you think?" Alexis asked Will over their horses.

Will shrugged: "I don't know. Maybe he's getting nervous. He acts like he doesn't care about his brother but it is him brother."

Alexis nodded and they finished taking care of the horses in silence. Went they went back in, the kettle was boiling and Alexis was smelling stew.

They ate in silence. Alexis started to feel sleepy. She yawned.

"Good," Halt swallowed his last bit of food and poured himself another cup of coffee. "Before our little girl falls asleep. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Horace repeated.

"Horace I want you to lay low. You're not the Sunrise Warrior on the road. You and Alexis are coming with me to Dun Kilty." Halt explained.

"What about me?" Asked Will

"You are going to do what you are best in. Take Tug and your lute and join Tennyson's flock. Try to find out whatever you can. We meet in Dun Kilty."

Alexis got up: "I'm going to bed."

Two days later Alexis, Halt and Horace arrived in Dun Kilty. It was a big city with a huge castle, bigger and even more magnificent than Castle Araluen.

"It's huge," Alexis muttered. Horace nodded.

"Yes, it is bigger than Castle Araluen herself." Halt answered. "And some years older too." He added.

They made camp I the forest just outside the city. Horace proposed to find a place on the market or in the local inn, but Halt said he felt safer in the forest. Of course, it was safer, but when someone found them here, they would immediately be suspicious.

After dinner, when Alexis was done cleaning the pot and brewed some coffee, she sat down next to Halt, who was writing something down on an official looking piece of paper. When he was finished, he sealed it with a seal Alexis immediately recognized.

"But, that's King Duncan's seal! Where did you get that?" She asked.

"I had it copied." Halt answered.

Horace raised an eyebrow: "You know you could get hung for that?"

Halt nodded, blowing the seal dry: "Yes, but since King Duncan hasn't the slightest idea he can't hang me for it. Plus, if I had known we needed an official document before we left, he would've signed it for me."

He stored the piece of paper away and started on his second project. On their way through a small village, Halt had bought some paint and a couple of brushes.

"Give me your shield," He asked Horace. Horace gave him his shield with a puzzled look on his face.

"What are you going to do with it?" he asked.

"Horace, from today on, in Clonmel, you are not the Knight of the Oak leaf, but the Sunrise Warrior."

"But that is deceit!" Alexis gasped.

"Clever deduction, girl." Halt repainted Horace's shield and his linen blouse. "Tomorrow, at the first light of dawn, we are going to confront the King and he's going to listen, whether he likes it or not."

"We have come here to seek audience with King Ferris of Clonmel, on behalf of King Duncan of Araluen. This is Sir Horace, The Sunrise Warrior, Commander of the Royal Guard and personal champion of Princess Cassandra of Araluen." Halt announced.

The two watchers looked a bit puzzled at the 'Sunrise Warrior' part, but the bigger one studied Halt's fake credentials and found that they were legit.

"You are allowed to pass." He said. "But who is the little girl?"

"I am member of the Knight's Hands of Araluen and she is my student." Halt answered. Horace didn't even take notice. He just sat there on his horse, yawning and looking incredibly bored.

Alexis noticed she felt affection for him, for how smart and innocent he was.

_We aren't falling in love,_ she told herself,_ Love is for teenage girls. And for the Lords sake, he's a knight! He's Cassandra's champion! Stupid brain._

They rode into the courtyard, Alexis quickly got off Wolfie to grab Kicker's reins while Halt helped Horace off his horse (something that was very hard when wearing armour). A big man with long, brown curls walked out of the keep and greeted them.

"Good morning Sir Horace!"

Horace barely reacted.

"We are always glad with visitors from the flourishing Kingdom of Araluen! My name is Sean Carrick!"

Horace shook his hand: "Sir Horace, Knight of Araluen, commander of the Royal Guard and personal Champion of Princess Cassandra."

Sean looked up from the credentials Halt had just handed him and smiled: "So I read."

He hesitated: "But I hear they call you another thing here. They call you the Sunrise Warrior." He pointed to the emblem on Horace's chest.

"That is indeed what they call me here." Horace answered, neither confirming nor denying it.

Sean nodded and studied Halt and Alexis with a questioning look on his face: "And these are?" he asked.

"These are Michael, my servant and a loyal member of the Knight's Watch, and his apprentice, Clara." Horace answered. "But shall we go inside? It is rather chilly here."

Sean nodded and led them inside the keep to the throne room: "One moment please," he said, "I must ask King Ferris if he has time for you kind Sirs."

Horace didn't react, so Halt nodded for him. When Sean was gone, Halt turned to Alexis: "Throw your hood off." He said.

"Why?"

"Because we don't want to attract unwanted attention."

Alexis did as she was told, but noticed Halt kept his hood on. She didn't say anything about it though.

Five minutes later, Sean returned: "The King has time for you now. But please, leave your weapons."

The three companions took off their weapons and placed them on Sean's big desk. Alexis saw that Halt's sheaths were empty, but his throwing knife was nowhere to be seen.

They entered the Throne room after Sean had introduced them. They walked closer to the King and Alexis saw that he and Halt indeed could be twins. Even though Halt was hard and tawny and Ferris was just plain fat, they looked like each other. He had a small beard, and his hear was black instead of pepper and salt.

Ferris' eyes darted around the room. He studied Halt, then Horace, then Alexis and the ceiling and all that with constant movement.

"Sir Horace," He said. Alexis jumped, Ferris' voice was the exact same as Halt's! "Don't you think it's rather impolite of your servant to wear a hood in front of the King?"

Horace looked towards Halt, but the Ranger had already pushed back his big hood.

Ferris' eyebrows shot up in shock as he recognized the man before him.

"Hello there, little brother,"


	14. The King in the Cloak

**I liked writing this chapter. Ferris is such a joy to play with :) not sorry for the late update, because I did a Game Of Thrones marathon in the weekend with friends :3**

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Chapter 14 – The King in the Cloak

Ferris turned as pale as snow and Alexis was concerned for a moment, she literally saw the blood streaming away from his face.

"But…?" Ferris muttered, "You're dead." He made a small movement with his right hand and Sean stormed in with an unsheathed blade and ten men right behind him.

"Is everything all right, your Grace?" He asked, carefully studying Horace, "Did he…?"

But then Sean noticed Halt and he realised it wasn't Horace who was the leader, it was the Greybeard.

"If you're so afraid, _brother_, let Sean stay. He deserves to hear the truth. But if you don't want any gossiping in the castle, I advise you to let your guards go." Halt said.

His voice made Alexis shiver. It was his Damn-you're-in-so-much-trouble voice, a slow, deep sound that was as soft as a whisper but clear enough for anyone to hear it.

Ferris seemed to hesitate. He looked to Halt, to Horace, even towards Alexis for a brief moment and then at Sean.

"Send your men away." He said. The man sounded defeated. His whole posture said 'defeated'.

Sean hesitated: "Your Grace?"

Ferris did that little thing with his right hand again and Sean nodded towards the men. They saluted to the King and left.

When the door had closed, Sean sheathed his sword and walked towards his King.

"Uncle?" he stuttered, "What is going on? Who or what is this man?"

"Uncle you say?" Halt asked, "So you must be Caitlyn's son?"

_This is getting interesting_, Alexis thought, _So if this man is Ferris' nephew, he must be Halt's too. His family is getting bigger and bigger._

"What do you know about my mother?" Sean walked a step forward, daring Halt to insult him.

Ferris sighed and stumbled over to a little bench next to the throne, where he sat down with his face buried in his hands. He sighed again.

"She was my sister, you know," Halt said, almost whispering, "I am your other uncle. I am Halt."

Sean stumbled backwards: "Impossible! My uncle Halt has been dead and buried for twenty years! Impossible!" he looked towards Ferris, begging for confirmation or denial, but the King was still sitting on the bench, face in his hands, sighing deep.

Sean was silent for a moment and studied Halt, just like Alexis did when she saw him for the first time without a cloak.

"Done looking?" Halt asked sarcastically.

Sean turned back to Ferris again: "Your Grace, please tell me, is this man my dead uncle? Our dead King?"

Ferris didn't answer him, but he confirmed Sean's suspicions with the first word of his sentence.

"Halt…" He began, still staring at the floor, "I didn't want to hurt you, trust me."

Halt rolled his eyes: "Oh Ferris you lying piece of shit, you wanted to hurt me and not a little. You tried to kill me. _Trice._"

"No! that is not true!" Ferris protested, "After you went missing I immediately sent men to search for you!"

"To finish what you started, you mean,"

This was too much for Sean, the confusion, the proctocol, he mixed everything up: "You don't address a King like that!" he roared.

Halt looked him in the eye for a couple of seconds when he answered: "O, but I'm not addressing a King." He pointed at Ferris, "He, on the other hand, is!"

Sean's mouth opened. Closed again. He seemed to think and all of a sudden he pulled his sword, sank to his knees and offered it to Halt.

"Your Grace." He said.

Ferris let out a soft whimper.

"Yes, yes, very nice and all, but I don't have time for that nonsense. Being a King isn't really my thing, I rather work for my money. I need to talk to Ferris."

Ferris let out the soft whimper again and looked up, scanning the room. Alexis softly laughed, it was like he was looking for an escape route.

"O for god's sake Ferris! Be a man for one time! I'm not here to steal your crown, I am here to save it!"

Ferris' head shot up: "Save it? But who would want to steal it from me?"

Halt sighed: "Okay, let's just all sit down for a minute and then we can talk about it."

He and Horace dragged two little benches from the side of the room in front of the throne. The four of them sat down, Alexis a little overwhelmed.

"What is going on?" she asked Horace, who sat down next to her.

"Halt is going to kick Ferris' ass," He smiled.

Ferris himself was standing on the stage with the throne on it, restlessly dancing around, not sure whether to climb back onto his throne or join his brother and nephew on the bench.

"Oh, just climb back on your throne," Halt sighed, "Before you go into a mental breakdown."

Ferris quickly climbed back onto the oaken throne and Halt turned to Sean: "Is there any chance we could get some coffee? I need something strong."

Sean smiled: "We don't drink coffee, the King… Uncle Ferris doesn't like it."

Halt rolled his eyes and Alexis smiled. Halt didn't seem to mind that his brother had tried to kill and exiled him, but that he didn't like coffee was a disaster.

"Okay. Never mind then. Ferris, have you heard of a religious group called 'The Outsiders'?"

To Alexis' great surprise, the man nodded: "Yes, a small group of Apostles. Harmless, I'd think."

"Harmless?" Halt raised an eyebrow, "This is not just a new religion, this is an entire sect! And your little harmless group of Apostles is on its way to Dun Kilty to take away your crown!"

"My crown?" Ferris replied, "Impossible! Where does that come from?"

Ferris seemed quite sure of this, Alexis thought, a bit stupid for a man who almost had a breakdown because his brother said 'hey'."

"I heard them say it." Halt said, "They are rallying people to kick you off your throne."

"Nonsense!" Ferris answered, "That Tennyson is just a good man, faithful to his God!"

Halt's eyes narrowed and he carefully studied Ferris' face, who was getting slightly nervous: "You met Tennyson?" Halt softly said. "Did you speak with him?"

Ferris opened his mouth to answer but Halt had cut him off before he even started: "A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice."

"We had a meeting. He had sent some people to assure me that there was nothing going on, that everything was… fine."

Sean raised an eyebrow: "I don't remember," he said, "When was that?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you, I thought you had more important business to worry about." Before he had finished his sentence Ferris heard how stupid that sounded.

"Did you come to an agreement?" Halt asked coldly.

Ferris nodded: "But Halt! This man makes miracles happen! Before his arrival, the country was overwhelmed by robbers and murderers! He stopped all of them!"

Halt sighed annoyed: "Why didn't you stop them? Why didn't you sent a peloton of soldiers out there to fight them? Didn't want to risk anything?"

He turned to Sean.

"Did he do anything about it?"

Sean shrugged: "I proposed to send soldiers multiple times, but he wouldn't let me."

"But Halt," Ferris tried again, "He was able to stop them! So isn't it solved them this way?"

"Yes, but do you know why it was so easy for him? Do you have any idea? Because he is the boss off those thugs too!" Halt jumped up so wildly that his little bench fell over, "Even an idiot like you should be able to see through that!"

"He is, the boss?" Ferris looked puzzled.

"Yes, of course he is!" Halt yelled, "He calls them when he needs them and then magically sends them back to hell! And when you ask the people what they want, they all shout 'Away with Ferris! Long live Tennyson!"

"But Tennyson said I would still be King," Ferris mumbled.

"Yes of course you would, but he would steal all your taxes and be the true ruler. You'd just be his puppet!"

Ferris looked towards Sean for support, but the man was about as angry as Halt was.

"Look me in the eyes Ferris. There is exactly one way to stop him." Halt said calm.

"How?" Ferris asked.

"You need to get your lazy ass out there and be a King for once! Speak to the people, tell them everything is going to be absolutely fine. You need to prove that he's a fake and give them another hero to cheer for! And luckily for you," Halt pointed at Horace, "We have brought you one! The Sunrise Warrior!"

Ferris raised an eyebrow: "But the Sunrise Warrior, that's just a legend!"

Halt shrugged: "So is Alseias! And we already planted the seed for you, the only thing left for you is to get out there and be a man."

"What do you mean, planted the seed?" Ferris asked.

Halt smiled: "Ah, well, just a couple of days ago, the Sunrise Warrior here came riding from the East and saved Craikennis of three hundred thugs, whom he all killed singlehandedly!"

Horace laughed: "Three hundred Halt? Are you sure about that?"

"The bigger and more unbelievable it sounds, the easier people will actually believe you." Halt said.

Sean reacted too: "I heard about that on the market yesterday. People were talking about the Sunrise Warrior and a battle at Craikennis!"

Ferris sunk his head in his hands again: "I don't know, I don't know," he complained.

Halt got up, marched to Ferris and brought his face very close to his brother's.

"Listen very well, _little_ brother," He whispered, "You are going to do something about it. You have to speak up and tell the people you're going to help them and I will help you. If you choose not to, then I will declare myself rightful heir and you'll lose your crown. But if you cooperate, I promise to go back to Araluen as soon as Tennyson is death or in our custody."

Ferris' eyes lit up a bit, that was easy. But he decided to struggle for a bit: "I need to think about this. You can't just barge into my castle and demand of me that I…"

Halt finished his sentence for him: "make a decision? I believe that your mind indeed can't handle that. I'll give you one day."

Halt got up and started to leave, but Ferris stopped him: "Two days, please Halt?"

Halt shook his head: "One day, and I'll be back at this hour tomorrow, this hour, and not a second later." He turned to Sean, "See to it that he doesn't do anything he'll regret."

Sean nodded: "Yes, I will," he waited for a second, but then added, "Uncle."

The hard lines on Halt's face softened for a brief moment, but then Alexis saw them harden again.

"Horace, Alexis, let's go!" he said, and this time he really did walk away. The three had almost reached the door when Ferris called after them: "Wait!"

Halt stopped, but didn't turn around.

"What if I refuse?"

Halt turned, looked his brother in the eye and smiled, well, if you could call that a smile. Alexis thought it looked more like a wolf, baring his teeth.

"Oh, you won't."

Halt, Alexis and Horace found an inn near the castle and asked for a room. The innkeeper, a big, prominent lady, brought them up with a big smile on their face and presented them a large, clean room with three separate beds and glass windows. Alexis ditched her stuff in the corner and fell down on a bed, moaning.

"We'll take this one," She heard Halt say, "Since the girl has already fallen asleep on one of your beds."

The innkeeper smiled: "For how long milord?"

"Tonight and tomorrow for sure. Maybe we'll stay longer, but we don't know that yet." Halt reached in his pockets and paid for their room.

"Anything else I can help you with milord? Maybe the young lady here wants to use our private bathroom so she can clean up?" The innkeeper asked.

Alexis sat up: "You have a private bathroom? Yes please!"

"And maybe afterwards we could have some dinner?" Horace asked. Halt sighed, but Horace just ignored him. "I know it's a bit late."

The innkeeper started smiling, for some reason, woman like feeding boy's like Horace: "Of course, sweetie! I'm sure you could eat half a horse!"

Horace smiled back: "I'd rather have some steak, if that's the same for you!"

"Of course, of course!" she squealed.

Halt jumped on the bed, sighing satisfied.

"No boots on the quilt, please!" All of a sudden the lady sounded scary.

"Bet you wouldn't say that to Horace." Halt mumbled offended.

"Excuse me?" the innkeeper asked.

Halt was silent for a moment: "Nothing."

The innkeeper nodded, pleased, and grabbed Alexis' hand: "Come on milady! I'll take you to the bathroom and fill the bath with nice warm water and then I'll wash your clothes for you!"

Alexis waved to Horace and Halt, as the lady pulled her into the corridor.

Someone coughed.

After Alexis had her bath and her clothes washed, she went down to have dinner with Horace, Halt wasn't there, and when they returned, the two of them were both so tired that they immediately went to bed.

And now someone coughed.

Alexis looked towards Halt, who was lying in the bed beside her, he had his hands cupped behind his head and his eyes were closed.

"That's an ugly cough there," Halt said softly.

"Ah, so I did find Sleeping Beauty and her two ugly stepsisters." Another voice, a familiar voice, answered, "All of you, just waiting for a Prince to kiss them awake. I already have a girl, I'm sorry."

Alexis sat up. In the corner of the room sat a small person in a dark cloak. Will. Who else.

Halt snorted: "Sleeping? You woke me up when you stumbled up the stairs like a drunk and I wonder if there is anyone who could sleep through you barging in our room the way you did."

Alexis looked towards Horace and she caught his eyes. 'I did,' he mouthed. Alexis chuckled.

"But you make some weird noises when you are awake." Will sounded amused, "What do we call that again? O yeah, right, snoring! Pretty clever of you! Since most people only snore when they are asleep.

Halt got up too now, swinging his legs out of bed: "Of course I kept snoring! I needed to pretend to be asleep! I wanted to know how long you'd sit still in that corner."

"So?" Will asked, "How long did I sit still in my corner?"

Halt got up to lit a candle and sighed: "Horace, if anyone tries to shove an apprentice towards you, push it back. They always come back to bite you in the ass. It's bearable when they are a student, but when they're finished. O brace yourself."

"Hey!" Alexis and Will said at the same time.

"I'll keep that in mind," Horace smiled.

By now, Halt had lit all the candles in the room. A golden glow lit up Will's face as he threw off his hood.

"I didn't expect you back this early," Halt said, "Did anything go wrong?"

"Yeah," Will nodded, "After I had arrived in Tennyson's pilgrim camp he decided to ban all music. So I would've stayed, but then he wanted to confiscate my mandola…"

"Your what?" Halt asked.

Will sighed, frustrated: "My lu-hute!"

Halt nodded: "Then say so."

Will looked towards Horace, who was smiling and then to Alexis, who was smiling too. He sighed frustrated again.

"Anyway, they were on their way to Dun Kilty too. I expect them tomorrow."

Halt scratched his beard: "Oh. But that changes a lot. I thought he needed more followers."

"He's got four hundred. If he armed them all he outnumbers Ferris' men one to four." Will said.

"He could siege the castle with that many men." Horace realised.

"Four hundred men," Halt sighed. "Ferris is going to need us."

"Yeah," Will remarked, "About Ferris. How did the reunion go?"

"Ferris freaked out." Alexis smiled.

"He had already given away the Kingdom to Tennyson in their agreement." Halt mocked.

"But?"

"But Halt convinced him that doing that was a very bad idea," Horace said, "and tomorrow Ferris is going to tell us if he agrees with Halt or not."

Halt nodded: "I think it is wise to have an answer from his this evening, but I don't want to push the poor man. He's had enough for today. We'll stick to the plan, but you're not joining us, Will."

"Why not?" Will asked. He sounded a little disappointed.

"Because Ferris is like a rabbit with a fox near. Three foxes. Let's not add a fourth." Halt said.

"I'll mingle with the people in the market. Listen to what they have to say." Will nodded. "Before we go back to sleep, one more thing. At Tennyson's camp, there were three foreigners. Mercenaries."

"Mercenaries? You mean Skandians?" Horace raised an eyebrow.

"No, these are different. They wear dark purple cloaks and big hats with feathers. They have five knifes on their belts and big crossbows with heavy bolts. I couldn't place them."

Halt was silent. "Girl?"

"What?" Alexis responded.

"Who are these people?"

Alexis thought. _Mercenaries. Crossbows. Knifes. Mercenaries. Crossbows. Knifes._

Halt helped her: "Add poison to the list."

"Oh! That's uhm, I know that one! From the west! Uhm, that is… something with a G… from Toscana… GENOVESAN ASSASSINS!"

"Alexis!" Horace shushed her, "Not that loud."

"Is she always like this when you ask her something?" Will smiled.

Halt shook his head: "Most of the time she doesn't even know the answer." He looked towards Alexis again: "And do you know anything more than just their name, girl?"

Alexis nodded, now she knew what they were on about, she could easily dig up all the other facts: "These are professional assassins, they have a big variety of killing methods but they prefer to lay low. You can recognize them from their purple capes and their big feathered hats. They say their cloaks can make them disappear into a city like the Rangers cloaks disappear in the woods. Their specialty is poison and ambushes."

"Isn't that literally from the book?" Will asked.

Alexis nodded: "I have problems remembering names but when I find the paragraph in my head I can recite it all."

"How?" Will asks.

Halt smiled and bowed towards Will: "Would you like to know her secret?"

Foolishly, he nodded.

"She studies." He smiled, "But I want all of you to be very careful around these guys. Don't be over confident. Reconsider running away when you face one of these men."


	15. Milord and Milady

**Ladies and gentlemen, ch 15! I apoligize for the horrible title but I have to go to work so I'll have to hurry ;) anyway, enjoy, review and I hope to keep up with my one chapter every weekend goal :) please review, PLEASSSEEEE :3**

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Chapter 15 – Milord and Milady.

"I won't!" Ferris got up from his throne.

Alexis saw that Halt shot Ferris a look that made her shiver. Ferris sank back in his throne, staring at the floor.

"I can't," he stuttered, "And I won't. You can't force me."

"Really?" Halt grinned like a wolf again.

"Why would I, Halt? Give me one reason why I should obey you. What good will it do for you? What do you have to do with this anyway?" Ferris protested.

Alexis raised an eyebrow. She shot a look at Halt and saw his jaw muscles clench. He was annoyed.

Ferris smiled: "Now I understand why you are here! You made a pact with Tennyson didn't you! He would get the country, I get 'accidentally' killed in the process and then you come in, like a monkey from a box, to be the new King and rule over Clonmel."

Halt shook his head, disappointed: "Oh Ferris. If I were you then I would think like that too, maybe. But I'm not. I'm worried about the people down there, the people that Tennyson is robbing right now."

"Your Grace," Sean said, almost begging, "Please reconsider."

"Oh," Ferris snapped, "Now you're all 'your Grace' again, aren't you? Yesterday you were the first to call that one," he pointed at Halt, "Your Grace!"

Ferris' head turned as red as a tomato. So did Sean's.

"I'm all my years working for the King's Guard I have never, _never_ been disloyal to the crown." He said. His voice was soaked in anger.

Ferris paled, without Sean, he was lost: "I'm sorry Sean. I spoke too quick." He turned back to Halt, "I'm not taking any risks. If you want to try to win the people for your stupid knight, go ahead. Have fun, but leave me out of it."

Halt nodded: "And I will if I have too, but they _know_ you. I am a stranger. If I get out there they'll think…"

"Indeed. Good that at least one person remembers that _I_ am the King. And _I_ can decide what I do myself and what I leave to others." Ferris tried looking very important and arrogant, but as always, Halt won the staring contest.

But Halt also understood that he had played his cards. Ferris was right. He had no authority here.

A knock on the door.

"Lord Sean? A messenger for the grey cloak. He says it's urgent."

Funny, Alexis thought, the man doesn't turn to Ferris, but to Sean.

Sean looked at Halt: "Are you expecting someone?"

"I he wearing a cloak like mine? And double scabbards?"

The man nodded.

"In that case, I am expecting him."

Alexis wondered what could be going on that it was important enough to ignore Halts clear orders _not_ to bother them.

Will walked in.

"Aha!" Ferris yelled, "I see now! It's not Tennyson who runs a cult, it's you!"

"Me?"

"Yes, with your boy and girl followers. Al wearing the same cloak and daggers and on."

"Ferris. Shut up. That is the most stupid thing you've ever said since you said that the earth revolves around the sun." Halt turned to Will. "Tell me."

"Tennyson has arrived. He is setting up camp and plans to preach at three this afternoon." Will panted a bit.

"Thank you Will. Please keep an eye on them."

Will nodded and disappeared again.

Halt took a deep breath. He was going to try one more time: "Ferris…"

"I think the correct title is: 'Your Grace'." Ferris smiled smug.

That was it. Halt was about to explode. Halt, who always stayed calm, was no red with frustration. He opened his mouth, but Horace spoke.

"Your Grace," he said, smiling reassuring, "I think there is a way out of this, a way that can be _profitable_ for all of us. If you know what I mean." He rubbed his fingers together.

Halt sighed: "Oh, leave it Horace. That's never going to work."

Alexis turned her head and studied the two men. Was this a show? Or was Horace really trying to bribe Ferris?

"Oh shut up Halt. You and your love for the folks. The 'Sunshine Warrior' thing was nice and all but what does it matter? But the King and I, we could make some money out of this."

"Horace?" Halt asked, "Couldn't you just stop this?"

"Halt, couldn't you just for one time admit that your approach doesn't always work?" Horace stared angry at Halt.

Halt was speechless. For the first time in his life, Halt had nothing to say.

"So, your Grace, what do you think about a little… business trip?" Horace continued to the King. He winked.

Ferris leant back in his chair: "Go on."

Horace ignored Sean's and Alexis' disappointed faces and pointed to a small door to the side of the room: "Can we talk in private for a minute?"

Ferris got up: "That is my changing room, we can talk there indeed."

The two left and Alexis stared at Horace's back with a sort of heartbroken feeling. Her gaze fell upon Halt, who was _smiling_.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Halt shushed her.

Clatter of furniture. Silence.

"Halt?" Horace called, "Can you lend me a hand?"

Halt quickly marched to the small room and Alexis curiously followed.

"Horace!" Alexis gasped.

They were in a small room, filled with Ferris' robes and an unconscious Ferris. It had a little comfortable sofa and even a fireplace.

Halt smiled: "Horace Altman. What happened to you these past years?"

"Well, I hang around with you Rangers guy's a lot." Horace softly rolled over Ferris with the tip of his leather boot. "Oh, and I decided you are going to be the next King."

Halt started laughing: "Me? King? Have you gone mad?"

Alexis could see reason in it: "Why not?"

"Because!" Halt spread his arms. "I do _look_ like Ferris, but not that much that we could fool people."

Sean ran in too. He stared at the King, then towards Horace and then at Ferris. He kneeled down next to Ferris and felt his pulse.

"You knocked him out." He stated.

"He was getting annoying."

"He'll be more annoying when he wakes up and calls every guard in the Kingdom." Sean answered grumpy.

"I won't be there then anymore. I'll be outside, with the King." Horace smiled.

"Horace," Halt shook his head, "Look at Ferris and then look back at me. We don't look like each other anymore."

Alexis followed Halt's gaze. He was right.

"No, imagine!" Horace danced around enthusiastically, "If we put your hair back with that leather band Ferris wears…"

"That 'leather band' happens to be the crown of Clonmel!" Sean replied snappy.

"Good! That will make it more believable!" Horace was really enthusiastic that he had made this up.

"And our beards?" Halt asked.

"Sure you know the word shaving," Alexis laughed, "I mean, Ferris' beard is smaller than yours. I don't think you shaved since we came here."

"Yes," Halt shrugged, "For the reason nobody would recognize me as Ferris."

"And know it is shaving time!" Horace smiled, "Why don't you sit down so we can start?"

"You are going to shave my beard? With what knife?" Halt asked sarcastically.

"Listen Halt, we need Ferris out there. _Any_ Ferris, he could be joined by the Sunrise Warrior. You taught me Halt, people see what they expect to see and when you wrap a lie in the truth, so they know that the Sunrise Warrior is real, the King should be real too. Why would the King be fake? So we'll shave off your beard and pull back your hair with that leather thingy,"

Sean growled.

"-Crown, excuse me, nobody will be able to tell you're not Ferris."

"So you really plan to shave off his beard?" Alexis chuckled.

Horace nodded and turned to Sean: "I'd need my dagger for it, can you get that without raising suspicion?"

Sean crossed his arms: "You expect me to join your little play?"

"Yes, because that knocked out doofus you call your King isn't going to do anything about the situation we have here. Damn, he'd cold heartedly _sell_ Clonmel to those bastards! So if you help us, we'll solve the situation here and then return back home to Araluen."

Sean scanned the four other people in the room again. He seemed to be doubting.

"Okay, I'll help," He finally said, and Alexis heard Horace sigh relieved, "I expect I will raise too much suspicion when I just ask for a razor?"

"My dagger is fine. Sharp enough too." Horace replied.

But Halt wasn't going to give in easily: "If you're going anyway, get my Saxe, not that blunt dagger. My knife will be sharp enough, I cut my hair with that thing so I should be able to shave with it."

"Aha!" Horace and Alexis simultaneously shouted.

"So you do cut your own hair!" Horace smiled.

Halt didn't react, but turned to Sean to quickly change the subject: "Can you get hot water in here? No way I'm going to shave dry."

"Hot water is a bit suspicious. Can't you get tea or something like that?" Horace proposed.

"I'm not going to shave with tea!" Halt shook his head.

"Calm down girls," Alexis mangled, "It's smarter to shave with tea, we could darken up the light spots of Halt's skin."

Halt opened his mouth, closed it again and nodded.

"Saxe and tea…" Sean mumbled as he walked out of the room.

It was silent for a moment.

"You do know Ferris' hair is black, don't you?" Halt mumbled.

"He dyes it," Horace replied.

"I don't give a damn that he dyes it, my hair isn't black!"

"We could use charcoal," Alexis proposed. "You know, to dye it."

Halt sighed and sat down on one of the chair's that had fallen over, accepting his inevitable fate.

"This gets worse every minute." He sighed.

Sean came back in with the tea and the knife. "That was easier than I suspected."

"What did you say?" Halt asked.

"That your knife was made of special steel mined in Gallica and the King wanted to see it. The tea was easier."

Halt nodded.

"Well, let's get started!" Horace smiled enthusiastic. He grabbed the knife and dapped it in the tea. He wanted to start on Halts beard.

"Ho! Wet my beard first boy!" Halt protested.

"Horace, sure you know how to shave!" Alexis laughed.

Horace grinned: "Do you want to do it yourself?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!"

He placed himself in front of a mirror, dapped a piece of cloth in the tea and wet his cheeks.

"See, it's going fine," he said, shaving.

"What should I do?" Alexis asked.

"There should be a couple of gowns in here," Sean replied, "Surely a King never goes out without a lady on his arm!"

"But won't the people be used to Ferris' lady then? Won't it be weird if all of a sudden a new girl shows up?" Alexis shook her head.

"Ferris didn't go out. So they never saw any lady." Sean shrugged.

"You hear it Alexis," Halt mumbled, concentrating on shaving, "Pick a dress and comb your hai- goddamn it!"

Halt started bleeding.

"Do you want me to do it?" Horace asked.

"I don't trust you." Halt growled.

He went on shaving but his hair was so sturdy he kept cutting himself.

"Do you want me to do it?" Alexis asked soft. She had changed into a purple dress with a corset (with help of Sean). She had combed her hair back and slipped on white satin gloves.

"No."

"So you want to keep on cutting yourself?" She asked, pulling off her gloves.

Without further discussion, Alexis grabbed the Saxe from Halt's hands, sank on her knees next to him and started shaving.

She actually was a bit surprised with her own courage.

And hey, she only cut him twice.

One hour later, the doors to the throne room flew open.

"Make way for the King!" Sean called, "He wishes to take his Lady and show her the Market field, you shall be escorting him!"

Sean walked in the front, with Halt and Alexis behind him and Horace in his armour in the back.

When they walked out of the keep, they saw their horses tied to a post outside.

_Keep calm,_ she mouthed to Wolfie. The horse shook his head and stretched his neck, like he shrugged. She saw Abelard do the same.

"Even my horse recognizes me," Halt mumbled.

"He probably smells you," Alexis whispered back.

"I smell myself." Halt was getting grumpier and grumpier.

"Kicker doesn't recognize you, so that's a good thing."

All the people made way for the King as soon as they saw the small escort coming their way, but no one bowed, no one cheered.

"I don't think you are very popular, Your Grace," Alexis smiled.

"I think you're right, Milady."

They walked onto the market field, where Tennyson was already preaching.

"They started without us." Halt sounded disappointed.

"Let's end it properly then, shouldn't we?" Horace smiled like a wolf.


	16. Milady Alison

**There not much to say actually, just that I really like the last bit of this chapter and I would like some feedback about how Ferris acts. so please Review!**

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Chapter 16 - Lady Alison

They arrived just in time to save the day.

"Then where is that Sunrise Warrior?" Alexis heard Tennyson scream. There was a faint panic in his voice, he was losing control.

"Pandemonium," whispered Halt, but then he raised his voice: "Do you want to challenge the Sunrise Warrior, Sir Boast-a-lot? Well, here he is! And so am I!"

The crowd turned their heads like one man and shouted: "The King!"

They entered the stage, first Sean, then Halt and Alexis and Horace last: "Who do you really think will protect you?" Halt roared, "Me of course! This man here is just a fake! A fraud! He has a mouth full of lies and I have the Sunrise Warrior! What do you think will do you more good?"

The crowd started cheering: "The Sunrise Warrior!" and Alexis noticed Will in the crowds.

_Is it Halt?_ he mouthed.

Alexis discretely nodded.

"This man is a liar, not here to help you, but to steal your gold! And all that in the name of his false God!"

"There is nothing false about Alseias!" Tennyson protested, "He…"

"Really? Then show him to us! Show him like I show you the Sunrise Warrior!"

The crowd cheered for Halt. Well, for the King.

"You wanted to see my Sunrise Warrior, here he is! Where is your Golden God when you need him so much?" Halt turned to the crowd again. "How many of you had heard of Alseias before he came?"

It turned silent.

"Nobody?"

Alexis saw the game Halt was playing.

"And how many of you have known the Sunrise Warrior?"

The crowd started cheering again.

"That is no proof! Any idiot could wear a shirt with an emblem and claim he's a knight! I want proof! Real proof!" Tennyson yelled

"What kind of proof do you want?" asked Halt calmly. "This man took down one hundred warriors with a swing of his sword at the battle for Craikennis!"

"And who says that's true?" Tennyson smiled, he was winning this game.

"Yeah, who says it's true?" the crowd echoed.

"There is only one way to prove who is speaking the truth." Alexis let go of Halt's arm and stepped forward, trying to speak as loudly as she could, "A battle. Our Sunrise Warrior versus the champion of your god! Then we'll see who is the true saviour of Clonmel."

The crowd started cheering like a madman for the Lady in the purple dress.

"Fine!" Tennyson yelled, "He can fight my most loyal followers," and dramatically he pointed towards the two big giants behind him.

The crowds started cheering louder, they cheered for a slaughter. Halt raised his hand and Alexis quickly retreated back to her spot at his right arm.

"So you want him to fight the two giants of your God? On his own? That hardly seems fair." Halt said.

"Well, you just said he fought one hundred men and won? Than this can't be too hard, right?" Tennyson smiled viciously.

"A battle should be between two men!" Halt said. He wasn't shouting but his voice was loud enough to reach all the corners of the Market.

It was silent. But then Alexis heard someone shout (and's she was pretty sure it was Will): "He's right! Men to men!"

The crowd cheered with him: "Men to men! Men to men!"

Alexis saw that Horace was getting worked up. And before anyone could stop him, he strode forward: "I will fight those thugs of you and I will defeat them! And when I'm done with them, I'm coming for you, I'll have you for dessert!" he roared in Tennyson's face as he pushed him on the ground.

The two giants stepped forward to aid their Master, but even before they had moved one foot, Horace had unsheathed his long sword and pinned it to the biggest giant's throat: "One more step and I will skin you."

"Two duels! We want two duels!" Will shouted. The crowd of people shouted back: "Yes! Two duels!

Tennyson got up, wiped the dust of his robe and stared angrily at the crowd, that was still cheering.

"Fine, fine!" Tennyson shouted, "You can have your two duels!"

The cheering grew stronger and louder.

Halt shot a concerned look at Horace.

"I'm going to be all right, Your Grace," He smiled at those last words.

Tennyson took two steps forward and before anyone could react, he was facing Halt: "What is the meaning of all this, Ferris? I thought we had an agreement."

"I thought the way to talk to a King was 'Your Grace,'" Alexis said arrogant.

"Who is this girl?"

"This girl is milady for you." Halt responded, trice as arrogant as Alexis.

Tennyson turned red: "When I'm done with you Ferris, I'll drag you of your throne, screaming like a pig."

"You'll have to get past me first," Horace stepped in between the 'preacher' and the 'King'.

"I'll break you into two pieces and feed you to my dogs." Tennyson hissed.

"I'd like to see you try," Horace smiled. But it wasn't one of Horace usual smiles, he smiled like a wolf standing in front of a helpless sheep he was about to tear apart.

Before anything could escalate, Halt turned away: "We have decided the Tournament will take place in three days!" he looked at Tennyson.

"It is said and so will it be!" Tennyson said.

The crowd started cheering: "Long live King Ferris! Long live King Ferris!"

Halt smiled, waved and left the stage. Sean quickly followed his King and the whole delegation walked back to the King, without uttering another word.

Back in the castle, Sean send every guard out of the throne room and they quickly retreated into Ferris' changing room again. The King had woken up.

"Iwrrlmrrblggs," Ferris muttered with the cloth in his mouth.

Halt laughed: "I'll give you a choice, _brother_, I can take the cloth out of your mouth and cut your ropes, or I can take the cloth out of your mouth and cut your throat."

Ferris started wriggling harder and harder. Halt pulled his Saxe and held it _very_ close to Ferris' eye.

"The game is over Ferris, and you lost." Halt whispered, "so keep quiet, okay?"

Ferris tried to fixate on the knife and he nodded like his life depended on it. Well. It did.

Halt slowly cut Ferris' ropes and he took out the cloth.

"You won't get away with this!" Ferris yelled.

"I already did. There's no way back." Halt took of the heavy brocade cloak and the crown.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" Sean asked.

"A guard Sir, with hot water and towels, like you requested." Someone called. Ferris opened his mouth, but Halt pointed the Saxe at his eye again.

"Turn around, the King is changing and I'll open the door."

Sean went out and returned with a bowl of water, soap and some towels.

When the door was closed, Halt relaxed again.

"What do you mean, no way back?" Ferris asked.

"You are hosting a Tournament, three days from now." Horace answered him.

"No way in hell!" Ferris protested. "I'll cancel it."

"If you do that, your people will tear you apart." Alexis smiled. "You should've seen them, chanting your name. They love you!"

"I'll send a message out to Tennyson, I'll tell him…"

"No you won't." Halt shook his head. "I don't think he wants to talk to you anymore. You called him a fake and a fraud. I think Tennyson would like to kill you, not make peace with you."

"You're stuck Ferris," Horace said, "So you'll have to throw the Tournament and the people will love you afterwards. Until you start acting like your old self again."

Halt started washing his face: "I think that the King looks a bit pale, don't you think Horace?"

"Yeah, maybe he's getting sick."

"Yeah, it looks like he's getting arthritis." Alexis smiled.

"Maybe you should stay in bed for a couple of days," Sean nodded.

"Until the Tournament, perhaps." Halt said.

"You are horrible." Ferris shook his head.

Halt appeared from behind the curtain again. His hair was pepper and salt again and he had washed the coal off his face.

"Maybe we should apply another layer of coal," Horace smiled, "The wounds are a bit obvious."

"I'll keep my hood on but let's do it anyway, just to be sure."

Horace dipped one of the towels in the warm water and started applying coal dust from the fireplace to Halts face.

"What are we going to do now?" Alexis asked.

"Sean, you're going to organize the Tournament." Halt slipped on his boots, "Horace and I will lay low and camp on the edge of the city, Will will be our eyes and ears in town."

"What about me?" Alexis asked.

"You are staying here, in the castle. Ferris is not allowed to go anywhere without you accompanying him. You are Lady Alison McLean from the Royal House of Clare, niece of Queen Lillian Black of Clare."

Alexis laughed: "Can I write that down? Babysitter Alison would be easier."

"For the next three days, you are the Kings babysitter. Sean will be busy organizing Ferris' Tournament."

"And do I have to wear a dress all the time?"

"Yes," Halt nodded, "But I propose that you wear pants underneath them, in case something goes wrong."

"Thank the lord." Alexis smiled.

Horace hesitantly asked a question: "Where lies Clare?"

"It's one of Clonmels neighbours, a small country where the river we rode past origins." Alexis smiled.

"Why on earth do you know that?" Horace asked her.

"Because I have to make up for my crappy sharpshooting and pay attention in history." Alexis explained.

"Geography." Horace whispered.

"Yes, that's what I meant."

Halt rolled his eyes: "Come on Horace, let's go."

The two left and Sean also went away.

"That leaves the two of us, Your Grace," Alexis smiled, "So how about we just return to the throne room and act like Halt has never been here."

"If you let me send one message out, one," Ferris begged, "I will reward you with anything you want."

"I knew you were stupid, but trying to bribe me? I'm sorry Ferris, you can't bribe a Ranger, not this Ranger. Just follow me." They returned to the throne room and Ferris sat down on his throne, Alexis next to him on the small seat that was reserved for the Queen, Princess or the first advisor of the King.

After half an hour of awkward silence, Alexis sighed.

"So this is what do you all day," She said.

"Yes. Normally a King would sit judge in important trials but I assigned judges to do those trials for me."

"So you do nothing all day long."

"Usually Sean is here with me." Ferris answers. "Do you know who you remind me off?"

Alexis sighed, she was not in the mood for Ferris trying to get touchy: "Who?"

"My brother Halt."

Alexis chuckled: "Well, I've been spending the last one and a half year with him, what do you want?"

"It's not just that, you even _look_ like Halt."

"I'm a girl!"

Ferris snorted: "That hardly matters."

"There are hardly any matches between the two of us." Alexis rolled her eyes.

"Really! I mean, the two of you are roughly the same height,"

"We all have the same height, Rangers get selected for the fact that they're small." Alexis was getting annoyed.

"And your hair…"

"Ferris," Alexis raised her hand, "Stop it, okay? Let's go back to our agreement that we would be silent."

"Why sweetie? Am I saying the wrong things? Doesn't any apprentice want to be like their teacher?"

"Don't call me sweetie." Alexis gritted her teeth.

"Otherwise?"

"Halt asked me to deliver you alive to the Tournament, nothing more. I am not your maid and I am not here to entertain you."

Ferris smiled: "Okay. I'll be quiet."

A knock at the door. Sean returned.

"Your Grace, Milady." He bowed, acting like he had no idea who she really was. He came closer and reached under his cloak.

"I got your knives, Lady Alison." Sean handed her the Saxe and the throwing knife and Alexis carefully shoved them in her boots.

"What about my bow?" She asked.

"I had your bow and quiver delivered to your room."

"Did you tell the person carrying them to be careful?" She smiled.

"I told them that if any harm came to the bow you'd personally gut them, as you requested Milady." He bowed and turned around to leave, but turned around at the door.

"One more thing, would you like to dine alone tonight?"

"As per usual," Ferris said. "I don't dine with ordinary people."

Sean nodded and opened the door.

"Lord Sean?" Alexis called him back.

Sean turned around again: "Lady Alison?"

"Tell the chefs we are dining in the main hall tonight. Tell them the King want's something special."

Sean smiled and bowed: "Yes, Milady."


	17. The Sunrise Warrior vs The Golden God

**HEY GUYS- I'm pretty excited about this chapter, I love to write the fighting bits ;)  
O, and I just love the combination of Alexis and Ferris. Good, please review, please, because I like some feedback on whatever you think about Alexis and Ferris, the way I write the fighting (that was rly hard) anyway, thanks, I love you, and see ya next week.**

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Chapter 17 – The Sunrise Warrior versus The Golden God.

The day of the Tournament, Alexis was up long before dawn. She walked around her room for a couple of minutes, but couldn't handle the stress.

_What if it goes wrong?_

Not only would Horace be dead, but the Outsiders would win the rights to the country. Alexis quickly got dressed in her Rangers outfit and hung her head out the window.

She smiled.

As expected, the outside of the castle was made of rough bricks, with enough handles to hold tight with her hands and lean on with her feet and the guards were on the walls, instead of around them. Nobody would see her come or leave.

She checked the clock in her room and saw it was half past five. That would leave her enough time to climb out the window, go check on Horace and Halt and return before the King was even thinking about waking up.

Ferris liked to sleep in, she thought as she climbed out the window and down the castle walls. Alexis took it slow, trusting on the grey assets of her cloak to hide her in the centuries-old walls.

Twenty minutes later she softly knocked on the window of the room Halt rented when they first arrived in Dun Kilty.

Halt opened, sleepy and grumpy: "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to wish Horace luck," She whispered.

"Right now? At six o'clock in the morning?"

"Only chance I get before the King wakes up."

She heard stumbling from the inside as Horace got out of bed: "It's fine, Halt. We should get up anyway."

"What?" Halt said, "Right now? You know it's six in the morning right? And that the tournament starts at twelve?"

"I need time to get ready. Maybe I'll knock your apprentice out for a few times as a warming up." Horace smiled.

"What? Me?" Alexis asked a bit puzzled. She climbed into the room.

"No, the other one." Horace yawned and rubbed the back of his head, "I still have to get used to the fact that Will isn't an apprentice anymore."

"He hasn't been for a while," They heard Will say from his bed. "And now shush it. I want to sleep for an hour or two."

Alexis smiled: "I'll be gone quick again. Is there anything I can take care of during the tournament?"

"Keep an eye out for Ferris, thanks," Halt smiled, "I wouldn't mind if something happened to him but maybe there's others that do."

Alexis nodded: "I'll guard him with my life,"

"Oh, please don't!" Halt shook his head, "Protect him the best you can, but don't throw yourself in front of a bolt for him, you are more important than that man."

Horace laughed: "That's sweet Halt. Are we expecting an happy announcement by the end of the week?"

Alexis sighed: "Yeah, Horace. Thanks." She climbed over the window sill, "O, and Horace?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck. Please don't die."

He smiled: "I'll do my best."

Alexis climbed down the inn and sneaked back to her room in the castle again. She undressed and quickly got under her blankets again.

Right in time, the maid got in: "Breakfast, Milady Alison." She put down a silver plate with toast, bacon and eggs on Alexis' lap.

Alexis quickly started eating, her little adventure this morning had left her hungry.

"Today's the big day, Milady," the maid babbled, "What would you like to wear?"

"Something simple," Alexis answered with her mouth full, "No corset please, it's far too warm for that."

"I understand, Milady," the maid smiled, not even questioning how Alexis could know that it was hot outside, "How about this dress?"

The girl pulled a big, red dress out of the closet, with long sleeves and lace on the sides.

Alexis smiled and swallowed her last piece of bread: "That one will do quite fine," she smiled.

Alexis got out of bed and quickly put on some pants before the maid forced the dress on her.

"Pants, Milady?"

"I don't want to end up all exposed if I fall on the dirty market field, do I?" Alexis answered arrogant.

The girl nodded and quickly tied up the laces.

Alexis smiled: "Lovely. Would you please braid my hair, Ùna?"

"Yes, of course Milady."

Alexis sat down in front of the mirror and saw the maid grab her hairbrush. The girl started combing it.

"You have lovely hair, Milady,"

"Thank you," Alexis was proud of her hair, she grew it over the year and it was quite long now, it hung five centimetres over her shoulders.

The longer she grew it, the weirder the colour got. It used to be brownish, but now, streaks of blonde appeared.

The maid braided her hair in silence and they were just about done when there was a knock at the door.

"Lord Sean is waiting for you in the Courtyard Milady." A guard called through the door.

Alexis got up and saw that Ferris was already waiting in the corridor, offering her his arm.

When they started walking and the guards couldn't hear them anymore, Alexis smiled: "I managed to slip my knives in my boots, just in case."

"What could possible happen?" Ferris asked, a little afraid.

"O, you couldn't imagine what _could_ happen, Your Grace. Yesterday and the day before I was your babysitter and you could order me around for a bit, but today, if I give you an order, you are to answer to it immediately. Even if I ask you to leave or to run."

"A real King doesn't run from danger," Ferris said arrogant. They walked out onto the courtyard and Sean joined them on their way to the market field.

"You haven't really proved to me that you are a real King by your actions, Your Grace, so if I give you an order, you are to answer it immediately." Alexis smiled and waved at some passing farmers. "Did I make myself clear, Your Grace?"

"Yes, Milady," Ferris said softly.

Sean was softly smiling behind them. This girl just kicked that man's attitude right into the ground and she even managed to give him orders.

"Lords, Ladies and citizens of Dun Kilty!" a Herald shouted, "May I ask your silent attention for Lord Sean Carrick!"

The crowds slowly silenced and Sean nervously got up. He scraped his throat: "Lords, Ladies and citizens of Dun Kilty!" he shouted. "Today the Lord will either declare the sect of the so called Golden God of Luck and Prosperity legitimate or illegal!"

An unpleased grunt arose from the side of Tennyson. His followers silently protested when Sean called their God 'so called'.

Sean nervously scraped his throat and continued: "Ferris, King of Clonmel, has stated that this God is unreal and that Tennyson preaches lies."

The crowd on the north and south side of the tribune started cheering: "Long Live King Ferris!"

Ferris was staring at the ground, feeling sorry for himself. Alexis punched him in the arm: "Look alive," she whispered. "Wave back at your people."

Ferris obliged and waved, the crowd cheered harder.

"It's not very hard to make them love you, you know." Alexis smiled, "Give them something to watch, food in their belly and something to complain about."

Ferris sort of smiled: "You would make a good Queen."

"Are you proposing?" Alexis laughed, "Dear Ferris, I am just a little amateur, I could never be a good Queen. I'm having a hard time trying to be a good Ranger."

Sean was halfway through his speech and had reached the vows.

"Tennyson!" He called the prophet, "Prophet of The Golden God, do you solemnly swear that you will accept the outcome of this tournament?"

Tennyson nodded, but that wasn't enough for Sean.

"Stand up, Tennyson! Stand up and swear to what you think is Holy!"

Tennyson hesitated, but when the people, his new followers, started to get worried, he got up.

"I solemnly swear to what I think is Holy," He said.

"Then let everyone be witness of that and let God be the judge!" Sean shouted, "Let the two champions enter the arena, Sir Horace, the Sunrise Warrior and Killeen of the isles, disciple of Alseias."

The crowd started cheering when Horace and Killeen entered the arena. They were both wearing full armour, Horace his hauberk with the linen 'Sunrise Warrior' blouse. Killeen had chosen for a leather breast plate and an iron helmet with a visor, covering his whole face. Horace had his own cone helmet that left his face open.

Alexis sighed.

Ferris smiled: "You're so in _looooove_."

Alexis rolled her eyes: "You are one manipulating son of a-"

"Be nice,"

Next to Horace stood Will. He looked so small compared to Horace and Killeen. Killleen's second was one of Tennyson's men.

"Take up your arms." The Master of Ceremonies said. Horace and Killeen took up their weapons.

"He is never going to win," Ferris sighed at the sight of Horace's tiny sword and Killeen's mace and chain, "My Kingdom is lost. Let's just go back to the castle."

Alexis shook her head: "Have some faith. Don't chicken out for once."

Horace took his sword, it was simple, practical. Killeen's weapon was looking as simple and practical as Horace's but it looked much deadlier.

"Take your places!" the Master of Ceremonies called, "When the bugle calls, the fight begins!"

Horace and Killeen marched to the middle of the field, where the fight would start. Killeen tried to scuff over to the west, so the sun would shine in Horace's eyes, blinding him.

Alexis grabbed her throwing knife, but the Master of Ceremonies had seen it too.

"Killeen, to the south!" he yelled.

Killeen obeyed, smiling like a wolf.

"Don't be too eager with that knife," Ferris said,

"It only has to _look_ like he is cheating and the last thing he'll know will be my knife sticking out of his eye. I might be a lousy shooter but there's nothing wrong with my knife throwing."

"Easy, just enjoy!" Ferris said, lying back in his chair.

"I would enjoy slitting your throat next time you tell me to enjoy watching my friend put his life on the line for your little kingdom." Alexis hissed angrily.

It was silent, until a sudden cry of the bugle broke the silence.

Killeen immediately saw his chance to end this once and for all, with one swung of his giant mace and chain he tried to hit Horace's torso, but the young knight quickly jumped back and raised his shield to bust back the giant iron ball. Horace caught it and barely seemed to be able to remain on his feet.

Before he hand any chance to recover, Killeen had already flung back his mace and he hit him again. Horace was just in time to catch it. Again.

Killeen swung the mace up in the air again, but Horace was getting the hang of it. He swiftly took a step to the right and the mace and chain flew past him. Killeen stumbled forward, pulled forward by the force and Horace hit him on his arms. It wasn't doing very much but a few bruises, but hey, he hit him.

Alexis clenched the arms of her chair, leaning forward. Killeen hit him again and the crack of wood fragmenting. Horace quickly pulled back his shield, the shape was sort of not the original shape anymore and the iron sides began to pull free.

"He's going to die," Ferris said.

"Shut up."

Killeen attacked again and Horace danced around him like a deer danced around a tiger.

Like a very tiny deer around a very big tiger.

Horace ran a few metres back and started fiddling with the bands on his shield and raised it, Killeen was close enough to hit him again Horace jumped away, to his left instead of to his right. That surprised Killeen and Horace tried to push his sword through the eye gap of Killeen's helmet. The giant pulled his shield in front of his face just in time, but blinded himself doing that. Horace swiftly pulled his sword away and hit Killeen on his wrist again, breaking the leather brace and cutting it badly.

This wasn't very lethal and it only set Killeen on edge.

"What are you planning on?" Alexis whispered.

Killeen roared like a wild animal and attacked Horace one last time, his spiked mace flew down with enough power to break down a house.

Instead of running away to save his life, Horace raised his shield and stepped forward. The wood from Horace's shield was everywhere, and in one smooth movement Horace pulled his arm free and turned around. Because the shield was stuck to Killeen's mace, the man stumbled forward, exposing his neck.

Horace was quick and deadly as a snake, his sword flung forward like a tongue of fire and Killeen's head flew off his shoulders, blood flowing from the stump of his neck. The crowd was silent and stared at Horace, who's odds weren't really in his favour, in shock.

"O my god." Alexis breathed.

Even Ferris was sitting on the edge of his seat: "That's impossible." He muttered.

"That is the Sunrise Warrior." Alexis smiled. She got up and cheered. "Long live the Sunrise Warrior!"

The crowds took over her cheer and shouted to the boy in the arena, the boy with the bloodied sword who had stared in the eyes of dead and had told it to suck it.


	18. An unexpected turn of events

**Back again! I've had a very procastinatingly project week so here's chapter 18. I do like the ending mwuahahaha. After I finish the Kings of Clonmel I decided I'll write a fanfic about Halt's peril, but I haven't decided yet if Halt lives or dies. I don't know (evil face)Anyway, enjoy this chapter (with a good name at last yaay) cyaaaa**

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Chapter 18 – an unexpected turn of events.

After an hour of anxious waiting (Ferris didn't want to leave the Arena so Alexis could visit Horace), the Master of Ceremonies called the champions back in again.

Horace entered together with Halt, clasping onto his hand like an old woman, stumbling.

"Something's wrong," Alexis said, more to herself than to Ferris.

"What?"

"It's just, Horace is more energetic, usually." Alexis didn't have a good feeling about this. She looked towards Tennyson. The old man got up and pointed at Halt: "That man! What is that man doing there?"

Sean scraped his throat: "It is perfectly possible for any knight to have a shield bearer!"

"No!" Tennyson screamed, "That is not allowed! You must remove this man from the arena immediately!"

Sean took a deep breath to answer, but Ferris got up, put a hand on Sean's shoulder and loudly said: "Keep your mouth shut, you crook!"

Everyone, including Halt and Alexis, stared at the King in shock for a few seconds, until a man in the audience shouted: "Yeah! He is allowed! If you don't know anything about the rules, then keep your mouth shut!"

The people shouted that the King was right and that Tennyson should better just sit down again.

Ferris sat back down, smiling.

"Doesn't that feel good?" Alexis asked.

"It does." Ferris shrugged, "You know, Alex, maybe Halt is right. Maybe I was so busy playing King that I forgot to be one."

Alexis rubbed his arm, smiling: "That is really sweet. Halt would be moved to hear that." She waited for a moment and then added: "Ferris?"

"Yes?"

"Don't you ever dare to call me Alex again, right now my name is Alison, remember?"

The Master of Ceremonies handed Horace and Gerard their swords back and he left the arena. Halt sat back down on the front row too.

Alexis stared to the empty seat next to her Mentor. Where was Will?

"Are you ready for the next duel?" Sean asked. Horace nor Gerard answered, so he just assumed that they indeed were. He nodded to the bugler.

One lonely blow of the bugle announced that the battle had begun. The tone wasn't even finished yet when Horace attacked, he flung his sword right into Gerard's belly and wasn't it that he was stumbling around as slow as a snail, his first attack might have concluded the battle.

Alexis recognized the symptoms all of a sudden: "He's had Angels Trumpet!"

"Excuse me?" Ferris said.

"Angel's Trumpet is a poisonous flower, that causes blindness and dizziness. He will die in a few hours if he doesn't take the antidote!" She got up. Realised she was chained to Ferris, groaned and sat back down again.

"Calm down." Ferris said.

"Calm down?" Alexis raged, "You want me to calm down? MY FRIEND IS IN DANGER! HE IS GOING TO DIE!"

She felt tears run down her face and sat back in her chair, ashamed of herself. The crowds had gone dead silent. Horace fell to the ground, dropping his sword. Gerard slowly approached, smiling like a wolf. He raised his sword like a dagger, to pierce right through Horace's armour and body.

All of a sudden, an arrow bloomed up from Gerard's right arm. Alexis sighed, relieved. Will was here. It was going to be okay.

"A cheater!" she heard Will shout. He sounded shrill and stressed, "The Sunrise Warrior has been poisoned! A cheater! Tennyson is a cheater!"

Luckily, the crowds believed Will: "A cheater! Cheater! Cheater!" they yelled together.

Will ran into the Arena, with a soldier carrying one of the Genovesian assassins.

"This man poisoned our Sunrise Warrior!" Will yelled, "I caught him in the Warriors tent, trying to destroy the evidence of his betrayal! Look! Next to Tennyson are his colleagues!"

He pointed to the Genovesians next to Tennyson.

The Genovesian tied up at Will's feet spat out some blood and said: "Really? Prove it?" with a really bad accent.

Tennyson got up with a big evil smile on his face: "Yes boy! Prove it!" he yelled. When Will didn't react, he continued: "This boy, citizens of Dun Kilty, is the cheater! He attacked my champion and should receive death penalty!"

"But I can prove it!" Will smiled. He turned to the Genovesian. "You thought you had destroyed all the evidence, did you?"

Will turned to the crowd in the arena: "I was in the tent when the assassin came in. I poured a glass of water and hid myself in the tent. I was curious what the man wanted."

He waved his hand and a well-fed man approached with a glass of water.

"If you didn't poison the water, it'll be fine to drink, won't it?" He asked.

"He's never going to drink that." Alexis whispered.

Ferris shrugged: "By the Gods I hope he does. I don't want a trial that takes months and months because of the lack of evidence."

Two guards grabbed the Genovesian and Will brought the glass closer to his face. The Genovesian pursed his lips and Will pinched his nose.

Alexis clenched her fists: "Come on. You've got to breathe sometime."

And indeed, the Genovesian gasped for breath and Will tried to force the water down his throat, but the assassin punched it away with his shoulder.

Will turned to the crowd again: "I believe the actions don't need a subtext."

"That proves NOTHING!" Tennyson yelled. "Nothing!"

Will sighed: "There is only one way to find out who indeed is telling the truth."

"What are you planning on?" Alexis mumbled.

Will spread his arms: "A duel! One arrow each."

"No!" Tennyson yelled, "Don't let him trick…"

The crowd didn't even let him finish. They cheered for more blood.

Ferris looked at Alexis: "What do you think, Milady?"

"You are the King, My Grace. Decide what you think best." Alexis smiled. This little coward was slowly turning into a King, a gentleman and Alexis could finally see the similarities between Ferris and Halt. He had the same smart, sly edge Halt had.

Ferris got up: "And so it will be!"

The crowd cheered like a madman again, but Halt, Will and Alexis were more concerned about Horace. The first two rushed over to him and the only thing Alexis could do was watch.

Alexis sweared.

"Easy girl." Ferris smiled, "Why don't you go check on Horace?"

"Because Halt would probably hit me and send me right back and in the meanwhile something could happen to you."

"Are you concerned about me, my dear?"

"I told you not to patronize me." Alexis sighed.

Halt and a guard carried Horace out of the arena, while Will handed his bow over to the Master of Ceremonies.

Another guard walked back in with a crossbow.

"Are they going to start right now?" Alexis asked.

"What do you want? Give them one hour of respite so they can cut Wills bowstring. Or throat?" Ferris smiled. "Sometimes you can be so naïve."

Alexis lend back in her chair and crossed her arms, mumbling something that probably wasn't very flattering.

Sean explained the rules, every archer would get one arrow, after the sound of the bugle they would fire the arrow as quickly as possible in their opponent and they weren't allowed to move. If both archers missed, they would get another arrow.

"You may shoot when the bugle calls." Sean added. Both men nodded, Will with a concentrated frown on his face.

It was silent in the arena. The bugler blew his horn. The Genovesian raised his crossbow, aimed and pulled the trigger.

"He missed," Alexis whispered.

Will, on the other side, raised his bow, nocked his arrow, pulled the bowstring and let go.

"He didn't miss." Ferris said.

The Genovesian fell to the ground. Dead.

Everyone cheered, Tennyson leaned back in his chair, he sunk his head in his hands. The man had lost it all.

"SUCK ON THAT TENNYSON!" Alexis screamed not very lady like in Tennyson's direction. The man looked up and smiled evil.

Alexis ignored him and turned to Ferris: "We won!" she cheered.

Ferris gulped out some blood on Alexis' dress.

"Ferris?" Alexis saw the big crossbow bolt in Ferris' belly, "GET A HEALER!" she shouted. A guard took off like a monkey from a box and Alexis turned to see where Tennyson was.

He was still in the arena, getting up to leave. He saw that Alexis had seen him and had seen what he did and he bowed, smiling again.

In a rush of fury, she grabbed her throwing knife and threw it to Tennyson, nailing him to the chair behind him. His white frock turned red, she had grazed his arm.

He pulled the knife loose and took it with him while he left the arena. Alexis turned to Ferris.

"Hey, it's all going to be okay, you're going to be fine." She tried to stop the bleeding with her hands.

Ferris chuckled: "I have a bolt in my guts. I am going to die."

"I won't let you, you don't have to die."

Ferris raised his hand, stroking Alexis' cheek: "These last three days have been the best of the past years, you forced me to see that I was the King and how good it felt to be one."

He coughed up some more blood, took a deep, gargling last breath and exhaled.

Alexis shook his shoulders: "Ferris?" she felt like crying, so desperate and scared.

"THE KING IS DEAD! THE KING IS DEAD!" She yelled. Her voice broke and she ran out of the King's lodge.


	19. Like Father Like Child

**This is a chapter I've been working to the whole fanfiction. not the end though, let's call it the beginning. This has been really hard, so please tell me what you think. Just read it and afterwards I have decided I will also do Halt's Peril if you like but it will be in this fanfiction. Anyway, enjoy!**

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Chapter 19 – Like Father Like Child

Alexis was sitting on her bed in her small room in the castle.

This afternoon she had paid a small trip to the castle's library, collecting books on herbology so she could copy missing plants in her diary. After the first trip, one of the guards had asked her what she was doing. She told the guy she was collecting some books for research.

The guard offered her help, something that sort of got out of hand and ended with a row of five guards following her, carrying books.

Now, with everything that happened, the Tournament, Ferris, Tennyson, she needed something to get her mind of things.

_Poisonous Plants and Healing Herbs; how to create and cure._

_Sounds interesting,_ Alexis opened the book on the first page.

_Author's note:  
You might have been lured to this book by the title and I personally think it was genius. This book is the most complete guide to all plants I could possibly find and collect, plants from Araluen, Celtica and Picta,_

Alexis chuckled, _there are plants in Picta?_

_Arrida, Toscana, Skandia, Gallica, all seven Kingdoms of Hibernia, Teutolandt, Alpina, Aslava and Iberion. I hope this might save your life one day, it saved my life and others on multiple occasions.  
I wrote this for a special person, who always desired a book like this and made me see light at the end of my dark tunnel again._

_Pritchard._

Alexis turned the page.

_Aconite.  
A little yellow plant regularly found in Gallica and Araluen. It is lethal to animals, but humans would have to ingest large quantities to upset their stomach. There is no cure, you…_

"Not interesting enough," She sighed. Leafed further.

This flower looked pretty interesting. It was a small, innocent looking blue flower. She copied the drawing and started copying the notes too.

_Anacondia.  
This is a flower found in Toscana. It is a very popular poison used by the Assassins from Genovesa. The poison causes severe hallucinations, fever, fainting, nausea and death in extreme cases. The cure to the poison is easy and the plants to brew the antidote can be found almost everywhere. Do be careful! There are two…_

Someone knocked at the door.

Alexis quickly shoved her diary under her pillow and grabbed one of the books. "Come in,"

Halt entered. "Hey girl,"

"What's on your mind?" Alexis asked. "How did the meeting go? Did you choose a new King?"

Halt sighed: "Questions, questions, questions. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Care to join me for a walk?"

Alexis got up and slipped on her boots. "Sure," she smiled.

She didn't know what was going on, Halt seemed troubled. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to.

"It was a long meeting," Alexis stated.

Halt shrugged. "Well, there was a lot to talk about. Ferris didn't do much these past years."

"I know I didn't really get to know him these past three days," Alexis started, "But he was a lonely man. I think he changed a lot the past years, Halt. He was still a coward, but he was a broken coward."

Halt smiled sour. "You always see the best in people, you know that is a lovely quality."

Alexis laughed: "What has gotten into you? Sentiment?"

"Please."

They continued their walk in silence, to the other end of the castle. They passed the throne room and the great hall, but Halt kept on walking to the private wing, where the Royal Family usually lived. Ferris hadn't, he slept in another room, far away from his feelings of guilt.

Two guards blocked their entrance: "I'm sorry sir," one of them said, "This wing is closed for civilians."

Halt lifted his hood and raised an eyebrow.

"You might just want to let me pass." He said softly.

The guard recognized him and let him pass after an extensive apology.

Halt walked her to a room in the back with a big brown oaken door.

"I know this sounds weird, but I just wanted to show you the bedroom I had as a kid." He said as he opened the door.

"Yeah it does sound sort of weird." Alexis walked in the room. It was a large bedroom with one door leading to a balcony and another one leading to Alexis wouldn't-know-where.

Halt sat down on the bed, sighing. Alexis ignored him and went straight to his bookshelves.

All herbology books.

"So you liked herbology as a kid?" She asked.

"I did. That's why I was able to teach you the past year."

"Aha."

Her fingers ran past the shelves, breaking the dust. One spot was empty.

"What book belonged here?"

Halt didn't even look up: "None."

"Then why is it empty?"

"Because I wanted an encyclopaedia of all plants. I kept that spot free and when I ran away it was still empty. My mentor promised to write me one once I finished my training. He couldn't give me an oak leaf, so he promised me the book."

Alexis was sort of baffled that Halt had been an apprentice too. But of course he had been. "What was your apprenticeship like?"

Halt sighed again, like he didn't feel like telling it.

"You don't have to if you don't want you," Alexis shrugged, she grabbed one of the books on his shelve, "You're the one who asked me to join you for a walk."

Halt nodded. "After Ferris' second murder attempt, I ran away. In the south I met a man, a Ranger. Twenty years ago Araluen was a mess; the King had just died, Duncan was eighteen, as green as grass. Morgarath was rising. He was exiling and killing all the Rangers and my mentor got exiled for treason. He fled to Clonmel and built a small cabin in the forest in the south of the country. Impossible to find if you were looking. When I ran away from Dun Kilty I didn't know where to go, so I went to the forest. I stumbled upon his house by accident. He let me in, it was the middle of Winter and I was starving. We talked. For some reason I told him who I really was and he talked about the horrible situation in Araluen. He offered to train me and he did."

"And he did one hell of a good job." Alexis smiled. She shook her head, as if she was trying to get rid of the weariness. "But why did you ask me to come with you? I mean, it can't be just because you needed someone to tell your life's story to."

"You're right," Halt admitted. "It is about the meeting of this afternoon. We had a discussion."

"About?" Alexis paged through the book. It was about the anatomy of plants.

"About the rightful heir to the throne." Halt sat up and started rolling up the sleeves of his blouse. "See, I don't want to be the King. I'd rather work for a living. Sean would be the next, most logical choice."

"So? Why isn't he King then?" Alexis didn't understood what the problem was. "Did one of the Dukes of Clonmel claim the throne?"

"No, there is a person in between Sean and the throne." Halt said.

"Another heir? Did Ferris have a kid? He didn't really look like the fatherly type to me." Alexis was quiet for a moment. "Why are you telling this to me? What could I possibly have to do with this? I'm just a kid from Araluen that was left on the…"

She stared at Halt, mouth wide open in shock. Everything fell into place. The book fell to the ground with a soft tump.

"You are my father." She muttered.

Halt nodded. He just nodded. No apologies, no explanations. Just nodding.

"I am the rightful heir to the throne of Clonmel." She looked him in the eyes. His dark brown eyes that, before had always meant security and safety to her, now looked so very familiar.

She turned to a mirror. There they were. Same colour. Same shape.

_How could I be so blind?_

Halt nodded again. "If you'd be willing to…"

"You left me. I wasn't good enough for you." Alexis' eyes narrowed. "Were you afraid that I would stand between you and a career? Is that why you just left me?"

"I can explain Alexis. It was for Araluen." Halt said.

"For Araluen?" Alexis asked sarcastically, "Is there an excuse that sounds more stupid?"

"Without me…"

"What? Araluen would have perished?" Alexis sneered. She crossed her arms. "You couldn't let your kid at home for a few weeks, if you wanted to go to war that desperately and raise me afterwards? You just decided to run away from your responsibilities and now you take me in again? Now that I'm big enough you are happy enough to take me away from my parents and make me a Ranger. Like you." She said those last two words like she disgusted the fact that he was.

For the first time in his life, Halt didn't reply immediately.

"You were the one knocking at my door, begging me for an apprenticeship."

Alexis' eternal respect for Halt disappeared at those words.

"That was low." She said.

She turned around and left the room. She heard Halt calling her once more, but she didn't reply, or react, or stop. In the hallway she started walking faster. Outside the castle she started running.

Wolfie neighed when he saw her leave. Wolfie.

She couldn't take him.

Right there, on that spot, Alexis made a drastic decision. She didn't know if she was going to regret it, but right now, she was so angry that she didn't care.

She grabbed the bronze oak leaf around her neck and pulled it off. Threw it on the ground. She dropped her cloak, shivering in the rain, and her double scabbard.

All the Ranger gear Halt had given her, she left it behind and ran into the woods next to the castle.

Alexis couldn't remember how long she had ran. She just remembered that once she got tired, she started walking.

She also remembered that she was angry. Not disappointed, not sad. She just felt enraged.

_How_ could he do that to her? _Why_ would he do that? She didn't care that he left her. Not anymore. She was angry that he decided that this would be the time to tell her.

Alexis remembered the sun going down and coming up again.

Around noon, she decided it was time to rest. Time to plan what she was going to do. Going back didn't even once pop up in her mind.

She climbed into a tree. God knows what was wandering around here besides her.

Halfway through the day, when the sun started setting again, she thought about going back. Going back and claim the throne, but she immediately rejected that thought again. She couldn't be Queen. She was just a little kid that knew nothing.

That was when she started crying. She didn't want to go back to Halt. Never. She could never look Halt in the eyes again.

Alexis heard twigs snap. She held her breath, looking down the tree.

"Alexis?" She heard someone call. Horace. "ALEXIS?"

Alexis opened her mouth to give her location away, when he said something that made her refrain.

"Halt wants to talk to you! We found your cloak and your oak leaf!"

He passed under the tree.

_Why do people never look up?_

As if Horace heard her thinking. He looked up.

Without the protection of her cloak, her white blouse wasn't really hard to find.

"Alexis!" he called her, relieved.

Alexis felt caught. Like she was a little kid that ran away because daddy wouldn't give her a cookie.

"Please come out of the tree." He asked.

Alexis heard neighing, Wolfie had given her away. She had no other choice than climbing down the tree.

"Why did you come looking for me?" She asked him.

"Because you can't just run off, Alexis, you can't just throw down your oak leaf and expect us to leave you behind? You're not the one I expect to run away from problems. I think you and Halt need to talk about it." Horace caught her when she jumped the last two meters and threatened to fall over.

"I can perfectly climb out of a tree."

"I see." Horace smiled. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Alexis climbed on her unsaddled horse.

"It's a long way home."

"I think that is exactly where I'm going."

Wolfie shook his long mane and Alexis grabbed her knee's for grip.

"Don't you think you are a bit overreacting? Why don't we go back to Dun Kilty, you let Halt explain and then you come with us to tear down Tennyson's cult."

Alexis and Horace rode in silence for a while. They trotted through the forest, following the stars.

"You know, Halt cares about you."

"Please, Horace, don't do this." Alexis spurred Wolfie into a faster trot.

"I mean it, Alexis." Horace spurred up Kicker to keep up with her. "The minute after he found your stuff in the courtyard, he wanted to run off into the forest. He feels guilty Alexis."

"He should feel guilty." Alexis mumbled.

"I don't know you like this Alexis." Horace said. "Why are you so cross about this? I mean, it must be a big shock, but why are you angry?"

Alexis sighed: "I am angry because he left me."

"Do you know why he left you?"

Damn Horace knew what questions to ask.

"No."

"So you are angry because you don't understand." Horace steered Kicker onto the road. "Just listen to Halt."

"Okay. I will. But if his arguments are invalid, I will go with my original plan."

"Go home?"

"I will go home."


End file.
